


The Song Remains the Same

by leonhart_17



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alternate Canon, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-08
Updated: 2014-02-17
Packaged: 2017-12-26 01:22:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 119,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/959921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leonhart_17/pseuds/leonhart_17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I had a dream.  Crazy dream.  Ellis Grey is alive and well.  Seattle Grace is the premiere hospital in the country.  Callie Torres is married to Owen Hunt, with a home and three children, while Arizona Robbins does who and whatever she pleases.  The history is different, the world itself has changed, but the song remains the same.</p><p>*If/Then* Calzona - Picking up where 8x13 ended</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zenparadox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zenparadox/gifts).



> This one all started as a series of ideas from my friend, zenparadox. So everything that happens later is kind of her fault.

Callie Torres wasn't an idiot, no matter what her husband Owen Hunt seemed to think. She knew that the lacerations on his hand weren't from a tray of instruments. She'd only heard whispers of what had actually happened, of course, because no one was stupid enough to mention the head of Trauma's... issues at full volume inside Ellis Grey's hospital. But Callie knew without having to overhear it from some gossipy nurses on the third floor. She knew even if she didn't want to know.

Knowing made it harder to go home to a loveless marriage. Oblivion was easier. If things were still working with her husband (they weren't) then she could ignore her crush on Arizona Robbins. Instead all she could think about was the invitation for a drink that she'd gotten today. It was trivial, just a polite thing people said, but she couldn't get it out of her head. For a split second she'd resented the nurse who'd brought her kids to interrupt their conversation before she could accept, before they could nail down a place and a time and give her something to look forward to besides returning to a silent house that grew more and more tense as Owen's fuse grew shorter by the day.

Working with Dr. Robbins, with Arizona, the last two weeks had been a revelation. She had always been a passionate person. Somewhere in the midst of her second pregnancy, when Owen had come home so very fractured and she'd been trying to deal with her position at the hospital, her two year old daughter, and carrying two active babies, she'd lost the passion she'd had for her life, complacent with simply keeping her department and house in order. But sharing a case with Arizona Robbins had made her feel excited about... everything again. Top of her field medicine, even arguing on a daily basis with her co-surgeon, it gave her a thrill that she hadn't felt in a long time.

Arguing with Owen simply didn't happen. They both had tempers but once his jaw clenched and his eyes clouded Callie had learned to back down before any more of their walls were subjected to the release of his frustration. The way whatever had set him off today had led to the broken window in the ER. Arguing with Arizona was safe, working her up without any danger of sending the other woman over the edge into violence. And after a week Callie couldn't deny that she'd picked more than one fight just to watch the flush rise up an alabaster neck as Arizona grew heated. And she had freckles dotting the top of her chest, and long, straight blonde hair that looked like it felt like silk and smelled like heaven, and her eyes – Callie had had to stop kidding herself by the second week of their case that she wasn't noticing the many appealing features of her co-worker. She was married though, and not a cheater. And she hadn't been with a woman in a long time.

There was nothing wrong with a friendly drink, however. What with her closest friend Addison currently caught up in the sticky web of her own twisted love triangle, she could use another friend. And Arizona made her laugh, made her smile, for what felt like the first time in years. A night away from the tension filled minefield that had become her house could only help her and Owen.

Allegra knew to stay close as she pushed the stroller with her brothers in it, one hand hanging tightly to the back of her mother's blouse as they left the hospital, the little girl chattering the whole time about her day in daycare. Owen's arm had slipped off Callie's shoulders as soon as they were away from Cristina Yang, affection a pretense they didn't bother with when they were alone.

“So, do you think you're good to keep the kids some night this week?” Callie asked as Owen held the door for her to push the stroller into the parking lot. They both knew what she was really asking, if he could pull himself together enough to be trusted alone with their children.

His heavy brow furrowed. They lied to each other about a lot of things but not about the kids. Their kids were the one thing they had in common anymore. “Uh, we could have dinner with my mom,” he said with a guilty glance at his bandaged hand. Cristina Yang was the only person in his life who had never been scared of him. It was a sobering realization. “Do you have a late consult or something this week?”

There was no reason not to tell Owen the real reason she wanted a night away but Callie hesitated to say she wanted to get a drink with Arizona Robbins. “Yeah. I'm not sure exactly when yet, but -”

“Okay. Just let me know and I'll call my mom,” Owen said with a brusque nod, not noticing Callie's hesitation past his private shame at needing a chaperone with his own kids. But the fact remained that he didn't trust himself around the children without someone there to keep him in check. Today proved that sometimes even the presence of others couldn't deter his temper. He hoped Teddy could get online tonight. At least she didn't make him feel like a freak.

Lost in their own worlds neither one spoke again, Callie getting the twins out and into their seats while Owen helped Allegra climb into her chair and straightened the buckles for her. “I'll see you at the house,” Callie said as she shut the door. They came from the same house, went to the same hospital, but they didn't ride in together.

“Sure.” He nodded to her across the hood, turning on his heel and marching to his truck.

Callie sighed, shaking it off. When had her life become about maintaining _this_ as the status quo? She needed one night away from it. Sliding into the driver's seat she slipped her phone from her purse before dropping the bag in the seat beside her. She didn't have Dr. Robbins' cell phone number but hit the number for the hospital, going through the phone system to leave a message on her colleague's voicemail. It rang twice before it was picked up, Arizona's voice breathy in her ear.

“Hello?” Surprised that Arizona was still in her office at this hour Callie forgot what she was going to say. “Hello? Anybody there?”

“Hey!” Callie said quickly. “I'm sorry. I just didn't expect you to still be here.”

“Dr. Torres? Hey.” Arizona's voice went warm and Callie could practically hear the smile in her voice. Arizona had a sweet smile. It lit her up. Even the professional smile she used around the hospital was radiant. She'd seen a few glimpses of Arizona's genuine smile in the last few weeks working with her. It knocked the breath out of her, made her heart rate jump. “Are you still here?”

Callie started her car as one of the boys whined in the back. “I just walked out the door with the kids.”

“Oh, okay, well our patient is still doing just fine, so...”

“I was calling about our celebratory drink, actually,” Callie said quickly, reversing out of the parking space carefully. “Are you free on Friday night?”

As a matter of fact Arizona had tentative plans for a second date with a woman she'd met a few weeks ago. Right before she'd started working on their patient with Callie, actually. Since then she'd been too busy working. And honestly she'd simply been uninterested in a second date with a perfectly charming pharmaceutical rep while she was spending time with the infinitely more appealing Dr. Callie Torres. “No, yeah, Friday's great.” She could cancel with Julie. No problem. “Um, seven? At the place across from the hospital? The Emerald City Bar?”

“That sounds great,” Callie said quickly, hoping she didn't sound too eager. Because she definitely felt a little overeager. And she could tell herself that she was just excited for a night out, away from work and the kids and Owen, but it was more the company than the evening itself that she was looking forward to. It was an innocent crush, that's all. Nothing would ever come of it. She was only torturing herself. And spending time with Arizona was a much sweeter torture than the tense silence of her marriage. “I'll meet you there?”

“Perfect,” Arizona practically hummed.

“Great,” Callie sighed, smiling in the dark interior of her car. This was ridiculous. She was giddy over casual drinks with a co-worker, hopefully a friend. It wasn't a first date. Could never be more than friendship. And maybe the fact that a night out with someone who wasn't her husband, with Arizona, had her so eager should have made her think twice, but she just couldn't help herself. Callie gave everything she had to keep Owen's peace and just this once she wanted to be selfish. She wanted one night to herself, for something she wanted.

The routine of dinner, baths, and bedtime for the kids was well established and carried out with near military precision, but Callie could only feel the walls of the rut they had let grow up on either side of them closing in on her. It had all been happening the same way since Owen's sooner than expected return from his tour. He'd been damaged and she'd had to adjust. Gone was their easily passionate physical relationship. Owen didn't like to be touched anymore, carried himself as rigid as stone in his efforts to avoid snapping and crumbling. And since that was really all they'd had to start with, it left two people living under the same roof with only their children and careers in common.

Looking up over her reading glasses from her budget report to the football game on low volume on the television she sighed as she noticed that Owen's gaze wasn't flickering from the screen of his laptop where he was chatting with his friend Teddy. It was what he did every night. And it was the only time she ever saw him smile anymore. “Will Friday work for your mom?” Callie asked, taking a glance at the score.

It took Owen a few moments to realize she'd spoken, a few more to figure out what she'd said and what she was talking about. “What? Oh, yeah, I'll call her tomorrow.” His eyes never left his computer screen, his fingers clicking away as he responded to whatever Teddy had said.

“Okay, great. Thanks.” Her next heavy sigh managed to catch his attention and he raised his head, his gaze questioning. 

“Budget giving you trouble?”

“No,” Callie said, pulling her glasses off and putting them and her paperwork on the coffee table as she grabbed the remote instead. She could stretch out on the couch, he never sat near her when they watched TV. He liked the armchair in the corner where no one could possibly squeeze in close to him. Callie missed being close to someone. “We're not working, Owen.” 

His eyes went wide but he didn't object. “What are you saying?”

“I'm not saying anything,” Callie said, swinging her legs up onto the couch and clicking the volume up on the television by a few notches. “Not really. But are you happy?” She didn't look at him as she asked the question because she already knew the answer. Neither one of them were happy.

Owen wasn't sure how to answer. Because he wasn't happy. And even worse, he'd seen what living like this had done to Callie, what he feared every day that it was doing to their kids. But he feared more than anything giving up the only stability in his life, even at Callie's expense. He told himself he couldn't blame her if she left him though. “I'm going to go upstairs,” he said instead, taking his laptop and an uncomfortably deep breath.

Callie just stayed on the couch and watched the Seahawks' latest three and out, already thinking longingly about her night out.

Owen never slept well but it didn't make him bleary or slow in the mornings. Instead he was somehow almost restless first thing in the morning. So he was the one who made breakfast, who put the kids' lunches together while Callie got an hour to herself. It was frequently the only alone time she got in a day. And she was surprised when the time, normally interrupted by a crying child at least once, was completely unbroken the next morning, her breakfast (still steaming pancakes, fruit, and orange juice) already on the table while the refuse from feeding the kids was already cleaned up when she peeked cautiously into the kitchen. The house was so silent that it was freaking her out.

Evidently her comment last night had been heard. And Callie wast grateful for the effort, she really was. And she genuinely cared for Owen. He was a good man who'd been broken. He was the father of her children. But she didn't love him. And breakfast wasn't going to change that.

It was a stark realization to have on a Thursday morning. Or rather, it was a big deal to finally let herself admit it. Somewhere inside, she'd known it the whole time. They'd been casual from the start, a pleasurable way to spend time when he was in town. She'd been a resident when they first met, Owen coming into her ER after a minor car accident while he'd been home for the weekend. The next night they'd been laughing in bed together over Chinese delivery food. And then he'd been gone again and she'd resumed prepping for her boards without missing a beat. Then it had happened again a month later. It wasn't like she'd ever imagined him as the person she'd wanted to raise a family with. That's where they'd ended up though after he'd left for Iraq the first time and she'd had the stick turn pink in her hand.

Now, her father had no idea that in between Owen's infrequent visits that she'd been seeing (and entirely not casually) one of the surgeons from the panel at her boards, Erica Hahn (previously the west coast's preeminent Cardio surgeon until she'd left Seattle to be closer to her Alzheimer's afflicted mother), but he knew that no grandchild of his was going to be born to an unmarried mother. Owen had proposed over the phone from the desert, the ceremony taking place six months later when he was home and she'd felt almost too large to move three weeks from her due date.

She'd had Allegra while he was back in Iraq, gotten pregnant with the twins the next time he'd been forced to take leave a year later, and her fate had felt sealed since then. His loyalty was always to his commitment to the Army, not the commitment they'd made to each other. The only reason he'd been home for most of her pregnancy and the birth of the twins was the decimation of his unit and the Army's decision that maybe he should step down and just be grateful that he was able to walk away. Owen hadn't really walked away though, hadn't wanted to. Apart from the kids and surgery the only enjoyment he got from his life was talking to his buddies who were still over there.

Callie ate her breakfast and mustered a smile for Owen as he helped her load the kids into her car before he went to his truck to drive to work, morose again by the time she reached the coffee cart for her morning cup. Stirring the creamer in listlessly she only noticed that there was someone beside her at the counter when an elbow tapped her arm lightly.

Arizona Robbins' dimpled smile greeted her, making her stomach jump and her mood begin to lift almost instantly. “Hey, Dr. Torres. Good morning!”

“Please, call me Callie,” said Callie with a laugh. “And good morning.”

Arizona gave her another dazzling smile and Callie was grateful that she was standing still because she was pretty sure that that smile could make her stumble. “If you'll wait just a second we can walk to the meeting together,” suggested Arizona as she took her own coffee and upended the sugar over it.

“That would be great,” Callie said quickly. “You got any good cases today?”

“Nothing too big. It's mostly budget stuff for me today,” she sighed as she finished with her drink and they turned toward the elevators.

Callie groaned with her, free hand patting the bag over her shoulder. “I was trying to look at mine last night.” She took a long sip of her coffee. “It was giving me a headache though, so I watched the last half of the Seahawks game instead.”

Arizona suddenly grabbed her arm excitedly, a wide grin on her face now. “Oh my God, did you see that fumble at the end of the third quarter?! They should have gotten that back!”

“You're a football fan?” She was surprised. At work Arizona Robbins was a straight-laced professional. But that was part of working under Ellis Grey. No one here knew she'd been dating a woman before she'd married her husband. Seattle Grace was about the medicine. The personal lives of its doctors didn't come up inside the walls of the hospital. At least they hadn't before the head of Neonatal medicine was having a baby that wasn't her husband's. Since then it seemed like personal business was bubbling under the surface everywhere she looked.

“I grew up with a bunch of guys,” Arizona answered, shoulders bobbing as she shrugged and held the elevator door for her. She winked playfully when Callie thanked her. “My brother taught me how to treat a lady.”

Callie blinked. Maybe she was way off-base because she hadn't done it in a thousand years, but that sounded like flirting. Or maybe her own wishful thinking was putting that inflection in Arizona's tone.

“Well, hey, if we're both going to be stuck doing paperwork, what if we meet up in the lounge after the meeting and at least we'll have good company while we're bored,” Arizona suggested eagerly. “I'll steal some donuts,” she added, as if she had to sweeten the deal at all.

Laughing, Callie nodded as the doors closed and the elevator started moving. “That sounds great.” She managed an almost shy smile when Arizona sent her a sidelong glance.

“Sorry,” she apologized, both hands fidgeting with the edges of her lab coat. “Tim, that's my brother, Tim always said I come on too strong with the really pretty girls.” Callie was sure she was bright red, positive that it could be seen from space. But she hadn't heard that she was pretty in... years. “Ladies, I mean, because you're not a girl, you're a woman. And not even just pretty, you're gorgeous.” Arizona flushed as well, both of them fighting wide smiles. “And you know that. But I apologize for – all of this. I'm sorry, Callie.” She blushed, sucking the tip of her tongue between her teeth. “Okay, and you're married so I'm sorry for even remotely seeming like I was coming onto you. Because -”

“Whoa, okay,” Callie interjected, unable to keep from smiling. “Don't worry about it.” Arizona bit her lip as she smiled back at her. “I'm flattered. It's been years since anyone even close to as beautiful as you are told me I was pretty, so I'm going to take it as a huge compliment,” she promised, taking a sip of her coffee. Callie smirked when Arizona held the door for her again as they exited the elevator. “And she wasn't chivalrous like this. I like it. Thank you.”

The other woman's next attempt at chivalry was thwarted by Owen quick-stepping to hold the conference room door, Callie caught off guard by her sudden stab of disappointment. Arizona being all flirty was beyond cute. Owen was smiling politely at them both though and Arizona's professional smile had replaced the previously genuine one. “Thank you, Dr. Hunt. Good morning.”

“Dr. Robbins,” he answered her, nodding as she passed him and none the wiser that less than a minute before she'd been apologizing for telling his wife that she was beautiful.

Callie hadn't forgotten though, was entirely aware, and followed her closely through the door, daring to drag one hand across the small of Arizona's back before the Peds surgeon reached her seat at the table. Callie's usual seat was at the far side, opposite Dr. Ellis Grey, and Owen again rushed to get her chair for her. Callie almost wished she hadn't seen the grimace that quirked Arizona's lips at the gesture from her husband.

Arizona was distracted throughout the whole meeting, silently kicking herself. She didn't babble like she had in that elevator. And she wasn't like that with women either. Normally she was cool and charming, not tripping over her words in front of a stunningly gorgeous married woman. Because anyone with eyes could see how amazing Callie Torres was but she wasn't twenty-two anymore. She was over being the other woman. Just as Callie was no idiot, neither was Arizona. She had dated more than enough women to know when someone was interested. And Callie was interested.

It had been much easier to ignore the last two weeks when she'd been able to write it off as interest borne of curiosity. And she was charming. Callie wouldn't be the first woman who'd questioned things because of her. It never went well though, and she'd sworn off newborns. She'd had no idea until the elevator that Callie had a history with women. Letting Ellis Grey's voice go in one ear and out the other didn't help her forget about that revelation. Callie was married. That reminder worked a little better to clear her mind.

Glancing down the table, she watched Owen taking notes only two seats over from her. Callie wasn't writing when her gaze slid to the head of the table. Callie was looking right at her. Brown eyes dropped to her tablet as soon as she was caught. This couldn't happen. Arizona swallowed hard. Callie was beautiful, smart, talented, simply amazing. But she was married. They could be friends but that was all.

Arizona ate two of her pilfered donuts before Callie even showed up in the lounge, though she had lost sight of her after the meeting when Owen had led her out of the room by the hand so she hadn't even been sure the other woman was still coming. But here she was fifteen minutes later, her bag over her shoulder and a sheepish look on her face. She looked adorable and Arizona kicked herself again. “Hey, so, about earlier – I don't go for married women. Period.” She said it quickly, before she lost her nerve and couldn't say it. It couldn't matter how amazing she found Callie. Nothing could happen.

“And I'm married,” Callie agreed, nodding. And Owen seemed to be trying, for the first time in years, and she was confused. “Tomorrow night is not a date,” she continued. “That's not what I – I don't cheat,” she stated. “I was hoping we could be friends.” She laughed hoarsely. “I think the elevators here have some kind of flirty effect, or something. And I'm sorry about that, really -”

“Friends,” Arizona interjected, smiling. “We can be friends,” she said with a nod. “I'm an awesome friend! We can get a drink as friends.”

Nodding back quickly, Callie laughed again almost nervously. “I hope so because I need it.” Arizona's brows dropped and she pushed the box of donuts toward the chair beside her in a silent invitation. “I haven't had a night out in a long time that wasn't to somewhere with a playground.”

“Ah,” Arizona murmured, her smile returning. “I'm suddenly grateful I didn't get any of these with the rainbow sprinkles on them.” Callie's head fell back as she laughed, the sound uninhibited this time. She was gorgeous when she laughed, when she smiled. Arizona couldn't tear her eyes away. Callie, happiness on Callie's face, took her breath away and she swallowed through a suddenly dry throat. “I'm an awesome friend,” she declared, telling Callie as much as reminding herself. It won her another happy laugh and Arizona forced her eyes to her paperwork. She was an awesome _friend_ , damn it.


	2. Chapter 2

Callie was late leaving the hospital Friday night, late to meet Arizona at the bar, but she still took a second to check her hair and makeup in the visor mirror in the car, telling herself it was silly even as she did it. She was meeting a friend for drinks. It wasn't a date. She had a husband so it couldn't be a date.

Arizona's lingering look of appreciation before she caught herself and blinked made Callie glad she'd taken the pause. “Hey,” Arizona greeted her, gesturing to the seat beside her at the bar. “How was your day?”

“Ellis liked that suggestion you made about the budget for Cardio, so I actually got to spend some time in the OR,” Callie reported with a smile. “Of course, Yang and Webber are friends now, so it was -” Arizona made a face. “Yeah, it's really weird.” Callie laughed and the bartender, Joe, came to them. “Um, I'll take a glass of the house red, please. Thank you, Joe.”

He nodded, smiling at the pair. “It's nice to see you, Dr. Torres. It's been a while.”

Arizona arched a curious eyebrow at that. She spent a reasonable amount of time here and she'd never seen Callie in here before. She would have remembered seeing her in here, probably would have let alcohol lead her to hit on her new friend at least once if she'd ever noticed her in Joe's before.

Blushing, Callie nodded. “Yeah, since the kids came I don't have much time,” she told him, sneaking a sideways glance at Arizona. She'd been here with Owen their first night together. And he'd found her here the next time he'd been in Seattle. Her second date with Erica had been at this counter. But a surgeon training to be the best and raising a daughter on her own had no time for drinks at the bar.

Joe filled the wineglass for her and lined up two shot glasses on the bar as well, pouring them each a shot of Callie's favorite whiskey. Arizona reached for hers willingly when Callie sent her a questioning look. Pleased with the answer Callie clinked her glass lightly against Arizona's before they both tipped them back.

It had been so long that the once familiar burn of alcohol down her throat made Callie gasp, her eyes watering and her head shaking. Arizona laughed at the reaction, swallowing her own shot without missing a beat. “Shut up,” Callie gasped, one hand on her chest, the request just making Arizona laugh harder.

“Sorry,” Arizona said amidst her laughter. “I'm sorry.” She couldn't stop laughing though.

“I used to be good at this,” Callie insisted. “Tell her, Joe!”

Their bartender grinned, his head bobbing as he nodded. “Oh, I'd say she could have given you a run for your money, Dr. Robbins. In her day,” he added with a wink. “Let me know it you need anything else, ladies.”

Callie was blushing again, took a sip of her wine to clear her throat as Joe walked away down the bar. “So, how about you? Did you get any OR time today?”

Arizona grinned. “Yes, but I think I want to hear more about Dr. Torres' colorful past,” she said playfully. “I haven't seen you in here before.”

“Well, having three kids means you have no life,” Callie said with a laugh. “But I used to do alright for myself. And that's all I'm giving you.”

“We'll see about that,” said Arizona with a laugh, sipping her wine. “But I bet you did more than just 'alright,'” she teased. Callie coughed lightly at the return of the flirty tone but didn't say anything to object. It seemed they just couldn't help themselves. They had both established that nothing would happen though. They were becoming friends. If flirty was just how they related to each other she supposed she could live with that. “Your kids are cute though,” Arizona acknowledged lightly. “I looked in on them when the twins were admitted for that cough they had in the fall.” Callie looked surprised and Arizona shrugged almost sheepishly. “Dr. Grey insisted. I'm not a pediatrician.”

“Thank you,” Callie said earnestly, left hand crossing her arm to cover Arizona's hand on the bar. Her thumb smoothed across fair flesh and she ignored the feeling the contact gave her. It was like when Arizona had hugged her but concentrated, focused in a single point where her fingers grazed soft skin. This feeling was intoxicating, more potent than the alcohol. And infinitely more hazardous. Callie couldn't make herself pull away though, squeezing her hand.

“It was no problem.” Arizona's eyes rose from their hands to Callie's face, their eyes locking. Neither spoke, ignoring the loud press of people around them in favor of silent staring. For all that she told herself it was innocent it felt dangerous to be sitting here holding Callie's hand. Arizona couldn't bring herself to move her hand away, no matter how perilous it felt.

Friends held hands all the time, right? Arizona wasn't sure she could remember the last female friend she'd had that she hadn't slept with. And she wasn't going to sleep with Callie, regardless of what simply holding her hand made her feel, so they could make up the rules for their friendship as they went along. And she was perfectly okay with hand holding being on the list of allowed behaviors.

Percy stumbled behind them and Callie's hand instinctively pushed him away, tearing itself away from Arizona's hand and putting a sudden end to the contact. Callie told herself that it was a good thing. She wasn't sure she'd have been able to do it consciously. Arizona's hand shot to take her wineglass though, draining the rest of her glass in two long pulls. “Let me get the next round,” Callie offered quickly, following Arizona's lead and pouring the dry red wine down her throat. “Joe.”

“Could we get two more shots?” Arizona ordered before Callie could ask for more wine. “You won't tell me about wild child Callie Torres, so maybe I've got to meet her for myself,” she said in explanation when a graceful eyebrow was arched in her direction. 

Smirking, Callie nodded her agreement with the order to Joe, who more than willingly poured the drinks. “And two beers,” she added. She was going to enjoy her night away from the house but she had no desire for either of them to embarrass themselves.

In spite of that wish Callie was more than tipsy by the time good sense dictated that they should get home, Arizona snaking the keys away from her when Callie slipped off her stool and onto wobbly feet. “Hold up,” Arizona said, laughing as she guided Callie's arm over her shoulder. “I've got you. Here we go.”

The cool night air helped, Callie breathing deep as Arizona scanned the parking lot. “I'm drunk, I think,” Callie confessed to her, laughter following the statement. “I haven't been drunk in for- _ev_ -er.”

“I think you are,” Arizona agreed, trying to spot an emblem on the keyring in her hand. “What do you drive?”

Callie kept giggling, the arm that wasn't around Arizona gesturing off toward their right. “I've got Owen's truck. Mine has all the kids' seats in it.”

The headlights lit up when Arizona hit the button and she guided Callie in that direction. “Okay, well let's get you home.”

“Owen thinks I'm at work,” Callie said, blinking as her smile slipped. Arizona steadied her as they reached the truck. “I told him I had a consult.” She fumbled her phone from the side pocket of her purse. “He hasn't called once,” she declared, displaying the screen of her phone to Arizona. “I don't think he cares what I do.” Arizona didn't say anything, her expression sober, and Callie forced a laugh, the sound too loud. “I'm drunk,” she said again.

“I know,” sighed Arizona, reaching up to open the passenger door for Callie and helping her climb in.

It wasn't until she was settled in the seat that she noticed which side of the vehicle she was in. “Hey. I can't drive from this side.” Callie started to slide over but Arizona jumped up onto the running board and stopped her with a hand on her knee. “And you have my keys,” Callie said, blinking again as Arizona's eyes were suddenly very close to her own. Arizona's whole face was very close to her own. If she leaned forward just a little bit she could be kissing her.

Watching dark brown eyes drift from her eyes toward her lips was Arizona's cue to lean back, taking a deep breath. “You're not driving. Sit here, okay? I'm going to drive you home.”

Callie nodded, not really understanding. “Okay. Are you going home now?”

“Just stay there,” Arizona requested, unconsciously rubbing small circles on the inside of Callie's knee through her jeans. She jumped when Callie's knee bounced, catching herself against the door's interior before she slipped off of the truck's step. Callie giggled again, one hand over her mouth, and Arizona smiled sheepishly. “No laughing at me.”

“Because you haven't been laughing at me all night?” Callie returned quickly, her hand dropping to reveal a dazzling happy smile.

Arizona backed up enough to shut the door, calling for Callie to buckle up as she did. The drunk surgeon was attempting to do just that when she'd rounded the truck and levered herself into the front seat. Privately, she wondered if Owen drove such a massive truck to compensate for something but she kept her mouth shut, sure that in this state Callie would answer her if she asked and she really, _really_ , didn't need to know that about Owen Hunt.

“Let me,” Arizona murmured, leaning over to guide the buckle where it was supposed to go with her hand over Callie's. She looked up again to find their faces were in close proximity once again. Holding her breath, Arizona couldn't move this time. Callie's eyes were dark brown, chocolate, but with shots of mocha in them. And she couldn't even kid herself that that was something friends noticed about each other.

“Your eyes are really pretty,” Callie said softly. Or maybe it was. “You're really pretty.”

Arizona leaned away again, her head swimming. And she wasn't even drunk anymore. “You're pretty drunk,” she reminded her new friend as she started the truck.

Callie giggled abruptly. “Well, thank you!” She leaned back into her seat appearing satisfied.

“Are you going to stay awake long enough to give me directions?” Arizona asked, adjusting the driver's seat with one hand.

“Home on the GPS,” said Callie, closing her eyes and making herself comfortable leaned up against the door.

Arizona checked the mirror and snuck a glance across the car. She needed another deep breath, maybe to even crack a window and get some fresh air moving around in here. Taking the breath and holding it, she resolutely tore her eyes away and backed them out of the parking space.

There was a spot next to Callie's SUV in the driveway and the silence when she cut off the huge, rumbling truck was almost startling. Callie stirred at the change, her eyes blinking open. She was more aware now than she'd been at the bar, recognizing her surroundings immediately. “Home.”

“Yeah,” Arizona agreed softly. It was just so quiet and she didn’t feel like disturbing the night by speaking any louder than she needed to. “So, I had a great time tonight.”

“How are you going to get home?” Callie was definitely more conscious now, her voice sleepy and sweet. “I don't think I can drive you.”

Arizona smiled across the dark truck cab at her. “That might defeat the point of me driving you home,” she pointed out. “I'll call a cab.”

Sitting up, Callie nodded. “Okay, but come inside to wait. I don't want you to get rained on.”

“Oh, no, it's okay,” Arizona started to protest. “I'd feel awful if I woke up your kids.”

Callie laughed, undoing her seatbelt and opening the door. “Just don't let me yell and they'll be alright. Now you should come over here and help me or I'll probably bust my ass.” Smiling, Arizona slipped out of the truck and walked quickly around the front to give Callie a hand down. She was much more stable now, thankfully. “I had a really, really great time tonight. Thank you. I really enjoyed myself, obviously. And you bringing me home was just really sweet. Thank you.”

“Well, I am an awesome friend, remember? And your husband could totally kick my ass, so it just seemed like a smart move to make sure you got home safe,” Arizona teased with a wink. Callie smiled, rolling her eyes and tucking her arm through Arizona's as they started toward her front door. Handing Callie's keys over to their owner so she could unlock the door Arizona let herself get escorted inside the house, helping her companion to the couch. “You can make it upstairs?” she checked, sitting lightly on the coffee table in front of her.

“I got this,” Callie said with a sleepy grin that was completely charming. “Let's get you a taxi.” She squinted at her phone for a second before she gave up on it and pushed it into Arizona's hand. “You can do it.”

Amused, Arizona pulled up a number on her own phone. “Are you going to be alright in the morning?”

Callie laughed, nodding her head as she kicked off her shoes and raked one hand through her hair. She looked utterly stunning, all messy curls and soft doe eyes. Arizona swallowed hard. “Sure will! And Ellis won't notice if I'm a little out of it with the whole situation with Addison and Shepherd and the Plastics guy from New York.” 

Arizona grimaced. “Ooh, yeah, we could come in still drunk and she wouldn't notice,” she agreed. “Shepherd better hope him being the best Neuro guy in the hemisphere is enough to keep him safe when Ellis and Richard find out he's sleeping with their daughter.” Callie's bark of laughter was too loud and she clapped her hands over her mouth in a hurry as Arizona put her phone to her ear and stood up to talk to the taxi dispatcher. 

She hung up when the cab was on the way, turning around to find that Callie was curled up on her side on the couch and sound asleep. There was a blanket over the back of the sofa and Arizona covered her up carefully, unable to resist the impulse to push dark hair back from her face gently. And that was definitely her exit. There was no way the cab was anywhere close yet but she couldn't just stand here and watch Callie sleep it off. She didn't know where the line was, but she felt that that would definitely be crossing it. And she had no desire to torment herself by developing a hopeless and painful crush on a married woman she'd never have a shot with. If she was going to stick with being Callie's friend she had to walk away from her right now and let her sleep in peace.

“Good night,” she murmured as she let herself out, just in case Callie was still aware enough to hear her. “I'll see you in the morning.”

Callie had pre-dosed herself with a pair of aspirin before work but she wasn't feeling too badly the next day. Arizona really was an awesome friend. She'd woken up under the blanket on the couch, surprised (and maybe a little disappointed) to wake up to Owen giving her a smirk as he'd stood beside the couch with both arms crossing his chest. He hadn't questioned her story that she'd had a consult, didn't connect any strange dots about her drinking and coming home late. He'd just gotten a kick out of shaking his head at her for a minute before he'd offered his hands to help her up.

Arizona was already in her chair at the table for the morning meeting when Doctors Torres and Hunt arrived, the two women exchanging smiles of greeting. “Dr. Robbins.” Her name from their boss made Arizona jump.

“Yes?” Arizona's brow was furrowed. She was perfectly presentable this morning, no evidence visible that she'd stayed out too late the night before.

Ellis wasn't noticing her, however, her eyes focused on the other end of the table. “Would you switch seats with Dr. Shepherd, please?” Confused, Arizona gathered her notes and computer and moved to trade places with the Neurosurgeon, Derek shuffling past her with his head down. This new arrangement separated him from his ex-wife nicely but also put him squarely between his new girlfriend's parents. Ellis Grey could be quite the conniving bitch when she wanted to be. Which was most of the time. “If you all can't act like adults in my hospital, then don't expect to get treated like one.”

But the new seating arrangement had Arizona sitting next to Callie (and across from Hunt, but she was ignoring that), so she wasn't going to complain. She managed to keep her focus on her tablet computer, her day's schedule of surgeries, until a knee bumped hers under the table. “How do you still manage to look so good after last night?” Callie asked her in a whisper, her eyes focused diligently at her computer. A smile was teasing her lips though.

“It's a gift,” Arizona answered, smirking at her tablet as she tapped on her calendar without looking up. “How's your head?”

“Not too bad, actually.” Callie's smile was crooked, though her screen was displaying nothing deserving of a smile. Her schedule notified her as a pending appointment was added to her day. A consult on an incoming Peds case. Now there was something to look forward to, something worth smiling about.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's my birthday, so you guys get an update. Enjoy!

Scanning the crowded cafeteria for a place to sit Arizona found herself grinning when Callie waved her over, happily taking the seat beside her at the small round table. “How are you?” The matching smile she was learning to expect from Callie was absent today. She looked morose, sad, moving her food around her plate without taking a bite. “What's wrong?” she asked when Callie just sighed and forced a smile.

“I think Addison's going to leave,” Callie said, shrugging as though it didn't mean anything to her. Arizona knew it did. “I'm sure you heard.”

Arizona had heard the talk that Addison Montgomery Shepherd might be leaving, returning to New York with her as yet unborn baby and that baby's father. She'd also heard rumors that Richard Webber was trying to talk his wife into offering the Plastic surgeon a contract. Ellis Grey seemed to collect brilliant surgeons. And Mark Sloan had quite the reputation – as a surgeon and as a bit of a ladies man. The way things were going around here lately he'd fit right in. “I'm sorry, Callie. I know she's your friend. She'll be around for a few more weeks though. She won't fly this late in her pregnancy,” she reasoned, hoping to be reassuring. Callie didn't look comforted. “Is something else wrong?” Arizona asked, leaning forward and speaking softly. They were friends and Callie clearly needed someone to talk to. 

They'd hung out in the lounge in between surgeries, chatted casually at the coffee cart on a daily basis in the weeks since their friendship had started. But Callie had things she didn't talk about. She told stories about her kids, talked about her surgeries, her research and papers she was reading. Arizona had noticed that she did not talk about her husband.

“Callie, you know you can talk to me.” As much as she didn't want to talk about Owen Hunt, she did want to see Callie happy, see her smile.

Callie shook her head, mustering another weak smile. “You don't need to hear about -”

“I asked, didn't I?” interjected Arizona softly. “You're my friend. And there's something bothering you. If you don't want to talk that's okay, but if you have something you want to talk about, I'll listen.” She could understand not wanting to share something personal at work though. Arizona gestured toward their mostly untouched trays. “What if we ditch these and go out to lunch?” she suggested lightly.

“Play hookie?” Callie questioned with a laugh, a genuine smile peeking out. And she desperately wished she could do it, but she had a surgery she needed to be sure Yang was ready for. The younger Dr. Grey appeared to have abandoned her service in favor of Neuro. Meredith and Cristina had become inseparable though. Which was actually okay with her because she spent all her free time in the hospital with Arizona now that Addison was tangled up in the mess she'd made of her life. Right now she had to sigh, shaking her head again. “I can't. I wish I could, believe me, but how about we get a drink some night this week though?” she asked hopefully. “Thursday, maybe?”

Arizona smiled. “Sure. That would be great. Just let me know if you can work it out.” Callie looked relieved, poking up a bite on her fork. “So what have you got going on that you need Yang's help?” Arizona asked, teasing.

Callie's mouth fell open, the corners of her mouth curling. “Oh please! Like I need any help from Yang!” she denied, shoving lightly at Arizona's shoulder with her free hand. “I am Callie Torres! I am a Cardio god! I mean, Yang is good -”

“But she's no Callie Torres,” Arizona agreed, smirking.

“She wishes!” Callie was laughing now, her earlier mood pushed away by Arizona's presence. It had only been a few weeks since their first night out together, but the friendship had grown quickly. And being around Arizona made her feel good in a way that nothing else did. It was nice, spending time with her new friend. Being with Arizona felt uncomplicated, easy, and it made her happy.

Their plans for Thursday were subjected to the reality of having three kids and Callie had to text Arizona to cancel when both of her sons were sent home from the hospital daycare with fevers. She only had the time to text when she got home, Arizona sympathetic and understanding. Callie couldn't help her disappointment though.

When the kids were finally settled Callie flopped to the couch, feeling pathetic as she pulled out her phone. Missing one night out wasn't the end of the world. She would see Arizona the next day at work and they'd reschedule. Her thumb slid across her phone's screen regardless, dialing Arizona and listening to it ring.

“Callie, hey. How are the kids doing?”

Callie sighed heavily, closing her eyes as she leaned back against the cushion on her couch. “Finally all in bed,” she said. “Gavin and Angus are still warm though.” Arizona made a sympathetic noise. “I'm sorry I had to cancel.”

“It's alright,” she said earnestly. She wished they'd gotten to hang out too but she couldn't blame Callie for needing to take care of her kids. “We'll reschedule.”

“Well, what are you doing now?” Callie spoke before she'd realized she intended to. “If you haven't eaten dinner I could get a pizza and we could watch TV at my house.” She blushed as she realized how juvenile it sounded, sure that Arizona would turn her down. She had better things to do than watch television and split a pizza. It wouldn't surprise her one bit to learn that Arizona had already filled the gap in her calendar with other friends, even a date. That last thought made her jaw clench but she ignored it.

Surprised by the offer it took Arizona a second to answer, stammering despite herself, “Oh, yeah, alright. That actually sounds great.” She pushed her bowl of still dry cereal away with one hand as she bumped her fridge door closed. “Should I pick up the pizza on the way over, or -?”

“Oh, um -” Callie was as surprised by the agreement. “I can just get it delivered.”

“Don't be silly. I'm coming over there anyway,” Arizona objected. “You order it and I'll pick it up.”

“Okay,” relented Callie with a smile. “But I'm paying. You can get the next one,” she said before Arizona could protest. “Supreme okay with you?”

“Perfect.”

Callie sat forward and found Owen's laptop where he'd left it on the coffee table, pulling the lid up with one finger. The screen came to life and she started a web browser window to order their pizza. There was already one opened but minimized and she left it alone. Owen wouldn't snoop on her computer, she wasn't going to snoop on his.

She was in the midst of ordering when a chat window popped up in the corner of the screen. _'Hey, I thought you were at work.'_

Unable to help reading it Callie debated answering for a long moment. The message wasn't for her. Who Owen talked to was none of her business. She wasn't one of those wives who needed to know everything. And talking to his friends might be the only thing that kept Owen sane anymore. Particularly talking to Teddy, who the computer told her was waiting for a reply. Ignoring the message, Callie resumed ordering the pizza.

_'Are things getting better with your wife?'_

It was a question she would expect a friend to ask. Seeing it in black and white on the screen still surprised her though. She hadn't imagined that Owen talked about more than the war with his friends still over in it. The idea that he might talk about her, about their problems, had honestly never crossed her mind.

_'I know you think you need her, but it's not fair to either of you if you're not in it, Owen. Staying together for the kids is bull. Especially if you can't trust yourself enough to be alone with them. You're not dealing with this. And Callie can't help you. I can't help you, even. You need **real** help!' ___

__Callie pushed the laptop closed without finishing her order, her throat dry. Her senses felt dulled, as if she was suddenly hearing through cotton, seeing through fog. It wasn't just her who knew how bad her marriage had gotten. Owen was aware as well. But he couldn't, or wouldn't, just let it end? And he talked with Teddy about all of it. While they lived an almost speechless platonic existence under the same roof._ _

__Slowly Arizona's voice pierced the haze surrounding her, her phone still pinned between her cheek and her shoulder. “Are you still there? Callie?”_ _

__“Sorry,” she breathed, shaking her head. “I'm sorry. Zoned out. I'm going to hang up, order the pizza.”_ _

__“Okay,” agreed Arizona slowly. “The place on First? I'm close to it, so I'll give it a few minutes and pick it up before I come over.”_ _

__“Sure, thanks.” Callie was still distracted, unfocused. “I'll see you in a bit.”_ _

__Again, Arizona agreed slowly before hanging up, leaving Callie to think. But she didn't want to think about it anymore. Her whole life revolved around Owen, around keeping him calm, keeping herself and the kids safe from all the things they didn't talk about. Owen wasn't even at the house tonight. He was dealing with a bus crash and likely wouldn't come home, no matter what time he finished with it. It was easier for them both if he just kept his distance._ _

__And tonight her kids were sick and she just wanted to eat pizza and watch something mindless with her friend. She didn't want to think about her marriage dissolving more than it already had, even breaking apart entirely. Because even if she didn't love Owen, was a divorce what she wanted? Was it what he wanted? And how would the kids cope?_ _

__Pushing it resolutely out of her head, Callie found the right number for pizza in her phone and dialed. She was going to have a normal night, damn it! She stood up as the phone call ended, leaving her phone on the coffee table next to Owen's laptop. Company was coming over and she was going to be a good host. That was her whole life now, putting on the window dressing of normality so no one knew how deeply broken Owen was. The facade was cracking more and more as Owen's control dwindled, his episodes occurring more often at work. But no one talked about it. Addison had asked, after the intern choking, but she'd lied, brushed it off. She was sick of playing like everything was normal while their front cracked and shattered a little more every day. It wasn't as if Owen was getting better, or even appearing to _try_ to get better._ _

__When Arizona knocked twenty minutes later (and as she was finishing replacing the towels in the downstairs bathroom with fresh ones, as if Arizona was going to need a towel) it signaled the end of her tolerance for all of it. The pizza box was topped with a six pack from some local microbrewery and Callie sighed gratefully as she reached out and took the boxes off Arizona's hands. “Hey,” she greeted her, moving out of the doorway. “Come on in.” Her voice sounded choked and strained to her own ears and Arizona sent Callie a concerned glance over her shoulder as she entered the house._ _

__“Did something happen? Are you okay?” Arizona checked. She'd noticed Callie's distraction on the phone. But her kids were sick so she had distractions readily available. This felt different, though._ _

__More than tired of her endless work to facade what her life was like, Callie answered her honestly. “Well, I just found out that Owen has been airing all of our dirty laundry with his friends in Iraq and I don't really know what to do with that information, but I feel kind of pissed about it.”_ _

__Blue eyes went wide at the blunt honesty but Arizona nodded gamely. “Okay, so maybe you should talk to Owen about it,” she suggested softly._ _

__“Oh, but that's the thing! We don't talk about Owen! Owen's problems don't get mentioned in this house, or in the hospital. Everyone knows they're there, but no one says anything. And you might think that it would be worth a conversation with his _wife_ , but no! I just have to keep my mouth shut and act like everything is fine!” Callie's voice had gotten louder and she closed her eyes and pulled both lips between her teeth. She couldn't wake the kids. They were miserable and she needed them to stay asleep. “I'm sorry,” she said, flopping heavily onto the couch and putting one hand over her eyes. “Arizona, I'm sorry.”_ _

__Arizona sighed sympathetically. She, like most everyone else they worked with, wasn't blind to the marital struggles of their coworkers. Like everyone else, it was something she just didn't talk about. But Callie was her friend and she was obviously done pretending that her problems weren't affecting her. So Arizona reached forward and snagged two of the beers from the carrier, opening them both with her keys and touching Callie's arm with the base of one of the bottles as she sat down on the couch beside her. “It's okay. What happened tonight? Is Owen even here?”_ _

__Callie didn't answer for a moment, taking the beer and a deep breath. “No, he's not here. And tonight – I wasn't snooping, I was on his computer to order the pizza and this chat window from his friend Teddy just popped up asking if stuff was better between us, and telling him that we shouldn't stay together for the kids, and that he needs help...”_ _

__Arizona took a bracing sip of her beer. “Does he need help?”_ _

__“Of course he does!” Callie said, free hand rubbing her eyes. “He's been slipping for months now.” Her gaze found Arizona's as her hand dropped. “He choked an intern at work, for God's sake!” She softened her expression, her tone. “Arizona, I'm sorry. I don't mean to keep snapping. This isn't, you don't have to worry about any of this.”_ _

__She leaned forward, her head shaking. “You're my friend, Callie. And you clearly need to vent. Talk to me.” And if Callie was living like this, she _was_ going to worry. “Have you, either of you, talked to anyone?”_ _

__Callie shook her head. “No. Owen shot me down every time I mentioned it, so I stopped bringing it up.” She forced herself to sit up, lifting the lid on the pizza box. “Let's eat before it gets cold.” It was a clear request for a reprieve and Arizona obliged her by reaching for a slice. The door on her silence had been opened a crack and Callie couldn't help herself now from letting it burst open, however. “He won't go to therapy. The only thing that has ever seemed to help was talking to the guys still over there. But even that doesn't help anymore.” Sighing, Callie took her own slice but didn't take a bite, gesturing with it instead. “And he's apparently been talking about _us_ with them, and Teddy is telling him all the same things I'm thinking...” Realizing what she'd said a second later, Callie took a big bite of her pizza to keep herself from speaking further._ _

__Arizona just looked concerned and caring and so sweet that it made Callie's heart jump and twist in her chest. No one cared like that about her anymore. Or that's how it felt, living in a house with the blank stone wall that was Owen Hunt. “Oh God,” she groaned around her mouthful. “I must sound so pathetic. Arizona...”_ _

__“It's fine.” She smiled, leaning forward to make sure Callie saw the quirk on her lips. “You really have to stop trying to apologize to me. You're my friend. And you're not pathetic. But I understand if you don't want to talk about it. Find us something to watch,” she suggested, gesturing toward the television with her pizza._ _

__Callie slumped slowly back onto the couch and sipped her beer while she scrolled the channels. Did she want a divorce? She didn't love Owen. She cared about him, of course, and she always would. But she wasn't sure she'd ever loved him, not as anything more than a good man, a friend, even. He hadn't ever been the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. And that had always been something she'd wanted – a life, a family, with someone she loved._ _

__“I'm not sure Owen even loves me.” She didn't realize she'd said it aloud, that she'd let the thought escape, but Arizona didn't comment on it, just leaned closer. They were already sitting close. If Arizona moved any nearer all Callie would have to do would be lean her head over and it would be resting on Arizona's shoulder._ _

__And those words, the unspoken fear that maybe no one loved her, made it impossible for Arizona _not_ to slide her arm across Callie's shoulders and draw her in the last few inches. If Owen didn't love this woman then he was a fool. Callie sighed as she nestled her head into Arizona's shoulder, her eyes closing for a long moment. The quiet comfort threatened to overwhelm her. It had been _so_ long since she'd been this close to anyone outside of the hospital. Physical proximity with anyone who wasn't her child had become an almost forgotten sensation._ _

__Neither one said anything, Arizona's right hand holding her pizza while her left unconsciously trailed through dark hair. Silken curls coiled around her fingers, stretching to the length of her stroke and then slipping out from under her touch to fall across Callie's neck and cheek so she could draw them back again. The television settled on a show about terrible tenants and Callie finished her first slice of pizza. She didn't reach for another one, didn't want to move and break the spell of the moment._ _

__Small, light footsteps on the floor upstairs eventually took the decision away from her, Callie sitting up with a sigh and giving Arizona an apologetic smile. “Let me check on that before they're all up,” she said softly, Arizona nodding and stretching. The smile on her mouth was sleepy and utterly breathtaking. Callie had to stop, take a minute to just look at her. “I'll be right back.”_ _

__Allegra was scrubbing at her eyes with her little hands when Callie met her at the top of the stairs. “Mama, I don't feel good.”_ _

__“I know, baby girl,” said Callie sympathetically, one hand gently touching her daughter's cheeks and forehead. She was still warm but not as feverish as she'd been. “Let's get you a new washcloth and back into bed.”_ _

__“Will you stay with me?” Allegra asked as she let Callie pick her up, nuzzling her face into her mother's shoulder._ _

__“Of course I will, sweetheart,” Callie whispered, rocking her lightly. She peeked into the twin's room, grateful to see that they were both still sleeping, though their breathing was lightly wheezy. Allegra whined when Callie put her down in her bed and pried herself free of clingy arms. “I'm going to go wet your towel. I'll be right back.” Returning from the bathroom she climbed into the bed and wiped her face and neck, relieved when Allegra sighed and melted into the pillow in relief. Allegra could be snugly but when she didn't feel good she wanted her space, particularly when she was overheated, so she didn't wriggle closer to Callie as she drifted off, just closed her eyes and breathed steadily._ _

__Callie stayed until she was out, leaning over to kiss her cheek and sliding off the bed to refresh the washcloth again before she slipped out of the bedroom to check on the twins again. They had their own cribs but preferred to sleep at opposite ends of the same one. Both were still sleeping._ _

__Arizona was still on the couch when Callie came back down the stairs, posture slouching now in a way she never did at work, her shoes off, socked feet on the edge of the coffee table while her beer was in her hand. “So, I'm sorry this is probably the lamest thing you've ever done in your life,” Callie apologized sheepishly._ _

__“How are the kids? Everybody okay?” Arizona asked considerately, smiling as she lifted her bottle to her lips._ _

__“Everybody's asleep,” Callie confirmed. “How are you doing?”_ _

__“I am all good.” The television was muted and Arizona had turned off the lamp on the table beside her, leaving the room in a cocoon of half-darkness. “You have to help me with this pizza though,” she prompted, pointing at the box with her toe. “You're a slice behind me now.”_ _

__Callie laughed quietly, retaking her seat on the cushion next to Arizona. “I'll see what I can do about that.” She reached for her beer first though, taking a sip. “How come you muted the TV? Did that stupid car dealership jingle one come on?”_ _

__“No,” Arizona said simply, smiling. “It started raining.”_ _

__Listening now, Callie could hear the staccato hum of rain just outside and leaned back into the couch beside Arizona, slouching next to her. Their eyes met but neither spoke. This time it was Arizona's head that leaned onto Callie's shoulder. Callie knew they were dancing closer and closer to the line separating friendship from something else entirely but this relationship with Arizona was nice, they talked and could be honest with each other, and it made her feel good, and she just couldn't bring herself to draw away from that tonight._ _

__Arizona was just as aware that she shouldn't have her head on Callie's shoulder right now, maybe shouldn't have even allowed herself to come over here tonight at all. But Callie was amazing – caring, talented, smart, funny, breathtakingly stunning – and the more she'd gotten to know her, to peek past the professional persona they all used at the hospital, the less she'd been able to resist her. She'd always fallen the quickest for girls she couldn't have. Callie was unbelievable and if her husband couldn't see it then he was an idiot. And what made it harder was the ever more clear knowledge that whatever she felt for Callie, Callie felt something for her too. But the fact remained unchanged that idiot or no, Owen Hunt was still Callie's husband._ _

__“This is nice,” Callie whispered, breaking the hushed serenade of the downpour. “Thank you for coming over tonight.”_ _

__Arizona realized that Callie's head had drifted down to rest against her hair and her chest felt tight all of a sudden. “I should go,” she said, the regret clear in her tone. Callie sat up, not protesting. Arizona could see it in her eyes. They both knew what they were doing here, what was growing between them. Neither one could say it though._ _

__“Yeah,” Callie agreed, clearing her throat. “Early morning tomorrow.”_ _

__Loose blonde hair fell in her face as Arizona nodded. “Yeah. I hope your kids feel better by then.”_ _

__“Thanks,” said Callie softly. “Thank you, Arizona.” They both knew she wasn't thanking her for the well-wishes that time._ _

__Arizona nodded again, pushing her hair back and remembering the feel of Callie's hair slipping through her fingers. She stood up quickly before she could do something colossally stupid like lean forward and kiss Callie Torres. “Goodnight, Calliope,” she said instead._ _

__Callie blinked even as Arizona turned away, surprised by that name from the other woman's lips. She wasn't sure anyone besides her parents (and definitely not Owen) had ever called her that. And how would Arizona even know that name? “How-?”_ _

__Blushing, Arizona couldn't turn and look at her again. “You got it shortened to Callie on your lab coat but it still says Calliope on your ID,” she explained. “It's really pretty.” She risked a glance over her shoulder, their eyes meeting and locking. Arizona licked her lips. “It suits you,” she said, and it was the first time Callie hadn't scoffed when someone had told her that._ _

__“Goodnight, Arizona,” Callie whispered, rising to her feet and following the clearly fleeing Arizona toward the door. Standing in the doorway she watched Arizona walk away, not shutting the door until the other woman was safely in her car and backing down the driveway. When she closed the door and flipped the deadbolt Callie slumped into the wood, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Oh boy._ _


	4. Chapter 4

Callie had agonized for the rest of the night after Arizona left and had come to the reluctant conclusion that what had happened last night – being lonely and alone with Arizona, in the dark, listening to the rain – it couldn't happen like that again. Because she couldn't put either one of them in that vulnerable position. It wouldn't have taken much for her to have done something she was determined _not_ to let happen, like kissing Arizona. Not that she didn't want to kiss Arizona. She absolutely did. But she wasn't going to kiss her when all she could offer her was angst and pain.

But she couldn't say that it wasn't good to see Arizona walk into the morning meeting, the smile sent her way making her heart jump in her chest. “Good morning, Dr. Torres.” Arizona sounded almost hyper friendly. “Dr. Hunt.” Now she wasn't, not that Owen noticed.

Callie sent her a look, eyebrow arched. “Good morning, Dr. Robbins.”

Arizona's smile was radiant, magical. Callie could see the second the expression tightened and grew strained. “Could I – could we talk after the meeting?” Arizona asked, her voice dropping. She needn't have bothered. Owen wasn't paying attention to them.

Nodding, Callie sighed. “Of course.” She knew exactly what Arizona wanted to talk about and it was a conversation she knew they needed to have. No matter how much she didn't want to do it.

Arizona led them to the lounge as soon as they were dismissed by Ellis Grey, holding the door and following Callie in. She didn't want to be the first one to speak though, not entirely sure what would come out of her mouth. Because she liked Callie. A lot. And not simply platonic, friendly feelings either. That would be easier.

“I like you,” Callie said, her back against the counter top where she could feel the edge digging into her back. She'd kept her mouth closed for years about how she felt in her marriage with Owen but now she simply couldn't keep the truth inside. “ _Really_ like you, I mean.” It felt unbelievable to actually say it, regardless of the fact that saying it was all she could do with the feelings. She didn't ask for an answer but her eyes made it impossible for Arizona to deny her.

“I like you too,” she admitted, breathing deep. “But we can't -”

“I know.” Callie sighed. “I'm sorry about last night. I was upset, and you're just so sweet -” She chewed on her bottom lip for a second. “I want us to be friends though. If that's still possible.”

“Yes,” Arizona said emphatically. “We're friends. That hasn't changed.” She licked her lips, her gaze flickering to where white teeth were worrying a full lower lip. “Last night, though...” Last night had gotten too close to the line they'd drawn for themselves. Next time she might not worry so much about crossing it. And she couldn't do that to Callie.

“Yeah.” Her voice was heavy. “I'm sorry.”

Arizona smiled, head shaking from side to side. She was determined _not_ to look at Callie's lips for the rest of this conversation. “I told you you have to stop apologizing to me. We didn't do anything wrong last night. And we're not going to. So stop saying that you're sorry, okay?” she requested, stepping closer to the other woman. “Okay?” she prompted again when Callie didn't agree right away.

“Okay,” she said with a laugh, relieved when Arizona sent her a dimpled grin. “Can I say thank you?”

“When I hand you things, yes,” Arizona answered her lightly, her nose wrinkling when she laughed. It was adorable. The expression slowly sobered. “Have you talked to Owen?”

Callie shook her head, eyes dropping to her shoes. “Not yet.” Honestly, her first priority this morning had been talking to Arizona, making sure her friendship wasn't going to disintegrate before her eyes the way her marriage already had. The damage with Owen was already done and had been for a long while now. She couldn't bear to let anything hurt the growing friendship she'd found with Arizona.

“Are you going to?”

“I don't know.”

“Callie...”

“I know, we need to talk,” Callie groaned, rubbing at her eyes with the heel of one hand. “I just, I'm afraid I already know how it's going to go, and I just – I don't want to deal with any of _that_ right now.” Arizona's brows furrowed in a silent question. “Owen – I mean, we both have... tempers.”

Arizona knew that. They had taken a day to replace the glass in the ER after Owen had last shown his... temper. The thought of his temper around Callie made her blood run hotter suddenly but she had to stifle it. She could be concerned as Callie's friend but there was no room for her in the middle of Callie's marriage.

“I'll talk to him though, I will,” Callie promised, her voice low. “I think we have to. We literally don't have any other choices. I can't live like this anymore.” They both sighed when Arizona's pager went off in her hip pocket. “Go,” Callie said when she hesitated. “I'll catch you for lunch?”

Arizona nodded and met her eyes for a long, intense second. “If you talk to Owen – if you need to -”

“I'll page you,” she agreed. Callie wanted to touch Arizona's cheek, wanted to drag her thumb across the spot where she knew dimples would appear when she smiled, when she laughed. Arizona's expression was serious now though, earnest. With concern. For her. “It's going to be okay – or it'll be awful – either way I'll see you in the cafeteria for lunch.” She reached for Arizona's wrist when she wanted to take her hand, squeezing gently. “Now you go save babies.” Mustering a smile she gently pushed Arizona toward the door. “I'll see you later.”

With a synchronicity that was almost comedic Arizona reached the door from inside the lounge as Owen arrived from outside, the redhead looking surprised to see them both. He stood aside to hold the door for Arizona, who was sending an almost pleading look at Callie. “Hey,” he greeted Arizona as she passed him. “I didn't think anyone used this lounge,” he said to Callie, letting the door swing closed behind him.

That was one of the reasons she and Arizona preferred this Attending's lounge but that wasn't something she was going to tell her husband. “So you weren't looking for me?” she asked, trying to be funny but her tone fell flat.

Owen blinked as if he wasn't sure why she'd even be asking, then pulled a grimace as he recognized that it was supposed to be a joke. “Oh, um...” He trailed off. There was nothing to say. That was how they lived though. They had nothing to say to each other unless it was about their children. “Are the boys feeling any better this morning?”

Callie sighed, her shoulders slumping unconsciously. “Their fevers broke around one this morning, but I still didn't want them in the daycare with the other kids until they're feeling a little better, so they're at your mom's today,” she told him, turning her back on him to check the coffeepot. It was empty and she reaching knowingly for Arizona's secret stash of the Costa Rican dark roast that she brought from home and kept hidden behind the box of oatmeal packets that no one ever ate.

Owen lingered in the room but didn't speak, his presence making her shoulders tight. How long had they lived like this, where her husband simply being in the same room made her tense? “If you're making a pot do you think I could get a cup?” he asked from behind her, the request making her sigh not because it was any extra effort, but because it meant that he wasn't just going to leave.

“Sure,” Callie said without turning around. The longer they were quiet the worse it would get. She knew that from experience. She wanted to talk to him about the things Teddy had said on the computer. It seemed like the universe was giving her the opportunity to do just that. If she could open her mouth and start the conversation. “So, uh, last night...” The coffeemaker was bubbling now and she turned to face Owen, who was sitting in the seat Arizona usually occupied on the loveseat.

“Yeah? Did the kids keep you up?” he asked, glancing at her over the top of the newspaper.

“No. Well, Allegra woke up once, but I was still up,” Callie answered, shaking her head and crossing her arms over her chest. “I ordered a pizza on your laptop.” 

Pale blue eyes rose again, finding her gaze and searching her expression. “Okay,” he said slowly when he got no hint of what she was going to say next from her face. When had Callie last looked at him with a smile that wasn't for the benefit of their coworkers? Callie was beautiful when she smiled. Looking at her now he noticed that she was beautiful sad too. It hurt to see her this way though and know that, consciously or not, he'd done this to her. She was this way because of him. Or more fairly, they'd done this to each other throughout years of distance and lack of communication. They lived under the same roof but they weren't together, they weren't a team, the way his parents had been when his father had been alive. This wasn't what he'd ever wanted for his life, or for Callie's. But he knew that they both loved their kids. That was the only thing he was sure of about his marriage anymore. He suspected that Callie didn't love him, feared that he _couldn't_ love her, or anyone, maybe, but they each loved their children.

“I didn't look at anything,” Callie said quietly. “I wouldn't do that.” Owen nodded. He knew that she wouldn't. Callie Torres wasn't that woman. “Teddy sent you a message while I had the internet open though,” she continued.

“Oh.” Owen swallowed the lump in his throat.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to read it, it was just there...” Callie tried to explain, the coffeepot still gurgling behind her.

“It's okay,” ground out Owen, his voice hoarse. The newspaper was crumpling in his fist, the corner trembling as his eyes stared unseeing at the print on the page. He would ask what it'd said but he already knew. Teddy was never one to mince words with him. As a matter of fact, she might be the only person left who wasn't scared to be honest with him. Whatever she'd said was surely an accurate outsider perspective of their situation but that didn't mean he wanted Callie to see it.

“Owen...” Callie said his name softly, tentatively. She could read his warning signs like a book by now and her tone was regulated to avoid provoking him. “You talk to your friends. Why can't you talk to me?” She knew the answer to that already though. They were the only people who understood him. She didn't understand him, could only try and cope with him. Behind her the coffeemaker finished its work. Callie poured herself a cup and selected a mug for Owen, looking longingly at the swirled blue mug that Arizona used every day. Owen got a plain black one, his coffee the same. Only when she'd handed it to him and he turned it to take the handle did she see the picture of Mickey Mouse on the ceramic. It had to be Kepner's.

The silent tension returned, both of them sipping their coffee without looking at each other. It was like they orbited around each other, not touching, never talking, but somehow always interacting, dependent on each other without a choice.

But they did have a choice. They could change things, break out of the patterns they'd been stuck in since Owen's return from the desert.

“It can't stay like this, Owen,” Callie said, breaking the silence before it could snap on its own. Owen's jaw was so tight she imagined she could hear his teeth grinding from her place on the other side of the room. He could probably crack stone with his bite right now. “We need help.” It wasn't solely his problem and she knew it. She couldn't blame him. “Teddy's right. We should talk to someone.”

Owen's eyes closed, the newspaper crumpled at his feet where he'd dropped it, his fist clenched and shaking on the table. The coffee sloshed over the edge of the mug and burned his hand but he didn't feel it. He knew it was wrong to think this way, but Callie didn't question him. That had become the status quo and now that it felt like it was shifting it threatened his calm. Not that his calm was all that safe these days. Callie had every right to talk to him, as his wife and as someone who had to live with him. But to have his wife agreeing with Teddy, it felt like the two sides of his world had come together against him. His frustration with his life, with himself, reached a sudden peak when Callie said his name again and he shot to his feet.

It was the only move he made, too tightly wound to actually take a step toward her. Even now, at what felt like the last few feet of his rope, he wouldn't hurt Callie. “I'm going to go,” he said sternly. His only chance for a halfway decent day was hoping that Yang would turn up in the ER at some point. And soon, if he stood a shot at avoiding more injuries to either himself or someone else. He stared at her for a long moment, his whole body stiff. The coffee cup splashed when he practically slammed it down but it didn't chip so they wouldn't have to hear Kepner crying about a broken mug.

“Seriously?!” Callie normally knew when not to push him, when to back down. But he wasn't going to change, not if she just kept backing down. And right now she just couldn't bear to bend for him one more time. Not if he wasn't even going to try talking to her. Not if he was satisfied with going on this way, ignoring her and his friends. Not if he didn't want to get better.

And her objection snapped Owen's control like a mousetrap, the table skidding as he shoved it aside. The rubber stoppers made a squealing screech as they dragged on the smooth linoleum floor. The noise made Callie jump. Owen's eyes were cold, hard, more distant than they'd ever been. He remained standing stiffly, his chest heaving, hands open and flexing at his sides. “Callie, you don't want to start this with me right now,” he said and it sounded like a growl.

“Maybe I do!” she shouted back, not meaning to raise her voice but unable to help herself. “Maybe I want to start this! Something has to change! We're dying! You're _not_ okay, Owen!”

He moved then, charging forward while she shrank back against the counter. His sudden movement, the release of the tension promised in his muscles, startled her after years of taking his control for granted. His face stopped inches from hers, his teeth grinding, lips drawn back. His fists were clenched on the edges of the counter top an inch on either side of her hips, their chests touching as he drew breath.

“Dr. Hunt!” The sound of the door slamming open behind him had been lost in the shuffle of other noises but Arizona was there a heartbeat later and forcing herself between them, both of her hands on his chest to shove him back. “Take a walk. _Now_ ,” she ordered forcefully. “Outside.”

Owen growled, a chest rumbling sound, but he made no move toward them, stalking backwards and blinking repeatedly at the fridge while his chest heaved with his heavy, violent breathing. His shoulder clipped the wall and he spun as if he was being attacked. “Yeah.” His pale eyes found Callie, his regret clear on his face. “I – yeah...” Whatever else he might have said was lost to the tense silence that defined their marriage. He left without saying more.

Arizona turned to Callie as soon as the door closed behind Owen, her hands on the other woman's face to check either side of her neck for even the slightest of marks. “Are you okay? What the hell happened? Did he hurt you?!” She leaned from left to right quickly, her eyes moving. “If he touched you I'll kill him,” she promised fervently.

Catching her arm before Arizona could rush after her fuming husband Callie pulled her into a spontaneous hug, both arms sliding over the shorter woman's shoulders. Arizona's arms were around her middle in a second, her hands curling up to stroke her back. “I'm okay,” Callie promised. “I made him angry.”

“You are not responsible for him controlling himself,” Arizona angrily objected. “If he can't keep himself in check then that's on him!” She caught the end of Callie's dark hair with her fingertips and combed them through the silken strands. “God, Callie.” She caught a breath, drawing in the scent of her. “Is that how he is when he's at home?” Because if that's what Callie went home to then she had some not entirely platonic concerns about letting Callie go. She was allowed to care for her friend. This was different and she could admit it to herself.

Callie sighed, squeezing her eyes closed. The corners burned like she was going to cry. She hadn't cried in years, wasn't sure she could anymore but her walls just didn't exist around Arizona. They didn't need to. Because she was safe with Arizona. Arizona wouldn't hurt her. And Arizona wouldn't let her get hurt. Callie had to choke back a sob and Arizona's hold on her tightened. “No,” Callie denied, her voice strained. “No, it's not like that at home. We don't talk at home. That's why it blew up here.” She cleared her throat. “I promise he's not like that. He's not like that around the kids.”

Their tight hug loosened gradually, Arizona recognizing the close proximity and taking a half step back. Her arms swung at her sides, palms itching to reach out to her again. She restrained herself though. “He better not be,” she grumbled, head tilting to check Callie's neck one more time.

Ducking away from the scrutiny Callie reached for Arizona's hand, squeezing lightly. “Come on. Let's get out of here.” She mustered a smile. “I need to do some work before Ellis notices that I haven't been seen anywhere today.” Before she could leave the lounge though she had to clean up the mess Owen had made, returning the table to where it belonged and wiping up the spilled coffee. Because that was her life, cleaning up whenever Owen lost his shit. She kept her hold on Arizona's hand the whole time though.


	5. Chapter 5

The clouds overhead were still darkening but the distant rumble of thunder was ominous. It was a rare stolen lunch break taken outside the walls of the hospital and Callie was spending it at the park with a box of takeout. And in spite of the imminent inclement weather, she was relieved to be in the fresh air. More than ever she felt like she was suffocating with Owen.

He was home for dinner, he made the kids their breakfast, but he didn't talk to her, didn't meet her eyes. She thought they'd lived without contact before but this was an entirely different realm. At least they'd been in the same bed before, even if it had been entirely sexless. Now she didn't know where her husband was sleeping but it wasn't with her. She thought he snuck out after dinner and back in before breakfast. She'd been hearing his truck leave around eleven on a nightly basis. And he was in the kitchen in the mornings when she came down for her coffee. She'd heard whispers from nurses who didn't know she was in the hall that he'd been seen at all hours going into the boiler room in the basement.

While she was languishing in the utter absence of contact, communication, or connection in the weeks since their showdown in the lounge Owen seemed to be recovering. He was calmer, getting his ER in order, spending time with the kids in the daycare in between surgeries. He wasn't talking to her, but he was talking to _someone_. If he wanted to move forward, get better, it didn't seem like he wanted to do it with her. The knowledge wasn't as painful as Callie had expected to be. The end of her marriage should feel like a bigger deal. Or it seemed that way, anyway. She knew that's what this was. She wanted Owen to get better, to be better, but she wasn't the person he needed. And he wasn't the person she wanted.

Finishing her lunch, Callie gathered her trash and left the park. If she caught the light at the next block she could be back in the hospital before the rain started. Of course, that wasn't her luck and it started before she'd even crossed the street, the drops falling hard and heavy. The rain came down in thick sheets, making her destination look cloudy and opaque in the distance. By the time she reached the closest entrance, the sliding glass doors of the ER, she was drenched entirely. The second year at the desk rushed forward to help her, surprised to see the Head of Cardio when Callie shook her dripping hair out of her face.

“Oh, Dr. Torres, it's you,” he said, wiping both hands on his scrub pants. He wasn't sure what to do with himself now that she wasn't a patient that needed him. “You're all wet.” Callie stopped moving to stare at him. “You don't have an umbrella?” he asked dumbly.

“Keep talking if you want to see the inside of an OR today,” she suggested, tone cool.

“Wha – Callie...” Owen's arrival was the desk jockey's signal to jump ship, fleeing to the safety of his spinning chair. “Good lunch?” her husband asked, a smile teasing the corners of his mouth. Callie shot a look up at him, resuming wringing out her hair with both hands on the rubber mat just inside the doors. “Come on,” he said, expression sobering somewhat when she didn't respond to his joke. “I've got a clean towel in my gym bag.”

Following him toward the locker room, Callie's wet shoes squeaked on the linoleum. “Thanks.” His locker was across the room from hers and she toed off her shoes to shuffle across to her own. “I guess I'm in scrubs today.”

Owen leaned against his locker, his eyes on his shoes while Callie pulled her wet jacket off. “Sure. How have you been?”

Callie laughed – not bitterly, not angrily, not even sadly, but genuinely laughed – and shook her head. They didn't even interact like a married couple anymore. They barely qualified as casual work acquaintances. It was amusing, really. “I think we need to talk, Owen.”

He sighed, shifting his weight and crossing his arms. They did need to talk and he knew it. “Yeah. Tonight after dinner?”

“Okay,” agreed Callie slowly. She could only imagine what that conversation would entail. How did someone just make a plan to sit down and end a marriage like it was nothing? How had her life come to this? She could trace the sequence of events that had lead them here, but it no longer felt like her life, like her decisions. What Callie couldn't remember was the last time she'd had an actual choice about something in her life. Everyone had options, of course, but her choices had always left her between rock and a hard place.

Erica had left her, for a good reason, but she'd still been left behind. She could have gone with her girlfriend, but she'd been only months into her fellowship at the premiere hospital in the country. So Erica had left and she had stayed. She'd gotten pregnant and had a choice there too. She could have aborted the pregnancy, or put the baby up for adoption. That choice hadn't been a real option either though. She'd always wanted a kid, had been raised Catholic. She could have not married Owen, but that hadn't felt like an option either, not with her father in the picture. She'd succumbed to what had felt like the easier path, marrying a man she genuinely cared about, the father of her child.

It had almost not even mattered that they were married for the first few years. Owen was gone and she'd been on her own. She'd adapted being a single mother who was also an insanely talented surgeon. The fact that she had a husband was just that, a fact. It had no affect on her daily life. She hadn't moped around missing him. He hadn't even been someone who'd crossed her mind all that often when she wasn't with their kids. Years had passed that way, with Callie Torres and Owen Hunt existing only on the peripherals of each other's lives. It had worked for them, even if Callie was lonely. She'd always wanted a family, and to be loved. But people didn't always get what they wanted. And she had three beautiful children. She could live without being the love of her husband's life. But then he'd come home so terribly broken and she hadn't even known what it was like to live with him as he'd been before. The damaged Owen Hunt who'd come home from the desert wasn't the same man who'd laughed with her over tequila shots at Joe's, or even the man whose face had lit up at the sight of his newborn daughter's screaming face on the computer screen. Callie had known that man. The Owen she lived with now, she had no idea who he was.

Even now, shattered and broken Owen was becoming someone new, someone else she didn't know. He was putting himself back together as a mosaic of chipped pieces and leaving her out of the new picture that was forming.

Callie had kicked off her shoes, peeled off her clingy jacket, and toweled the worst of the dripping out of her hair. She cleared her throat before she reached for the hem of her blouse. They hadn't touched each other in what felt like forever. Callie didn't know when, exactly, she'd gotten uncomfortable with her own husband seeing her undressed. “I'll see you at home,” she said quietly. “Thank you for the towel.”

Owen nodded brusquely, clearing his throat as a blush rose up his neck. “Yeah, okay. Later.” It was sweet to see him blushing. It reminded her that he'd been a nice, kind, gentle guy before. His jaw clenched as he left the room though and the difference it wrought on him made her sad.

Her shirt was only half off when the door open again but Callie thought nothing of it. She didn't mind being unclothed in front of other people, just Owen. She wasn't ashamed of her body. She was sexy, damn it, even if her husband didn't notice anymore.

“Oh my God.” The exhalation was soft, breathy, and completely unconscious. Caught in her shirt and unable to see her guest, it made Callie jump.

Fighting her way free of her shirt Callie was equal parts surprised and mortified to see Arizona gaping at her. Blue eyes were wide, locked on her chest. And she wasn't even wearing a good bra. “Oh God,” she echoed, snatching a gray scrub top and tugging it on. “I'm sorry!”

Arizona looked flustered, swallowing hard as olive flesh disappeared beneath the shirt. “Wow,” she murmured to herself, blinking when Callie smirked and coughed lightly. “Sorry.”

“No problem,” Callie said, ducking her head to hide her pleased grin. She couldn't say she disliked the reaction she had gotten from Arizona.

“What happened to you?” Arizona asked with a smile of her own. “You were outside in this?”

Callie shrugged, tugging her skirt down and avoiding Arizona's eyes. Not that Arizona wasn't looking, she could feel the blue eyes on her legs, she just wasn't catching her. “I needed some air.” She toweled off her legs and hopped as she pulled up the matching gray scrub pants. “These things are ugly,” she commented absently. “And just so gray. I think blue would be nicer looking.” Arizona could recognize Callie's avoidance techniques and waited, knowing that whatever Callie wasn't saying would come out if she just kept silent. “Owen was just here,” Callie said, sitting down on the bench and combing fingers through her wet hair. “We're going to talk tonight.”

Moving to the bench Arizona sat down beside her. “Are you okay?”

Callie sighed, nodding. “I actually think it will be. Things will be better after we talk it out.”

Arizona leaned forward, elbows on her knees. She had feelings for Callie. She knew it. And she'd thought (hoped?) that Callie felt _something_ for her, even as she knew that there was no way they could act on them. She couldn't be surprised that Callie was determined to work out her marriage. Owen was the father of her children. She was just a friend from work. There was no contest. She would be foolish to think anything else. “That's good,” she said, hoping her voice didn't sound choked.

“I think so too,” Callie said, taking a deep breath. Finishing with her hair she leaned back to grab the sneakers and clean socks that she normally only wore during surgery. There was no way she was going to spend the rest of the day in soaked heels. “It won't be easy, but I think it's for the best.” Callie glanced sideways and caught Arizona's gaze, their eyes locking. “How about we go get a coffee after work? Maybe take a walk if it's not raining? There's this park near my house where I take the kids...”

Arizona knew she should say no – it was just tormenting herself now – but she smiled and nodded. “Of course. I'll meet you here?”

“Sounds great,” Callie said, letting her smile soften with real affection. It wasn't something she normally let herself acknowledge, that she had real feelings for Arizona, for someone who wasn't her husband. But her marriage was over and they were finally recognizing it. She was almost free to move her hand six inches to cover Arizona's, lace their fingers together, pull her in and kiss her like she was dying to. _Almost_. But not yet. Not until she and Owen talked. Until then she let Arizona walk away, the two of them going their separate ways in the interim.

An emergency surgery made her late leaving, though Arizona came in to consult on the case. A nurse called Owen to let him know that she wouldn't be home for dinner. Arizona was gracious, tried to let her off the hook for their coffee but Callie denied her. Owen could handle the kids for one night. And she was eager for a few more minutes alone with Arizona outside of their workplace.

It was still dripping in metropolitan Seattle and Callie held an umbrella for them both as they exited the hospital, realizing the benefits of her chivalrous gesture when Arizona tucked in close beside her to stay under the cover. She inhaled and the scent of rain that surrounded her was drawn in along with the fragrance of fair hair.

Arizona's car was neat and clean, almost silent during the short trip to the park. They'd left Owen's truck at the hospital. Callie could have driven it, taken it home after their walk, but she didn't want to give up any time she could spend with Arizona. The rain had further tapered off and Callie left the umbrella in the backseat when they got out of the car at the park.

The cart at the entrance of the park sold coffee, smoothies, and ice cream for the kids. Callie got her usual regular with a little bit of cream and sugar while Arizona got a fudgesicle for herself. She just grinned as she tore off the wrapper, ignoring Callie's sideways glance and the other woman paying for both the coffee and the ice cream. “What?” Arizona asked. “We're going to walk around. I'll burn the calories.” Callie just smiled, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth. “And maybe I'll walk to work tomorrow,” Arizona suggested, pursing her lips around the top of her ice cream.

Callie bumped her with an elbow and took a sip of her coffee as she took her change and they started meandering without speaking. It didn't feel like an awkward silence though. It felt... comfortable. Spending time with Arizona was nice. The remnants of the rain were still falling through the trees lining the path, providing them with a quiet natural cadence of background music.

They'd almost done an entire lap and were losing the daylight when Arizona broke the quiet. “Do you want to swing for a minute? I know you've probably got to get home to the kids... and your talk.”

“Sure,” Callie agreed, following her onto the empty playground. The parents of Seattle had yet to migrate back outside with their children after the rain. She shook the water off of the seat and sat down. It had been years since she'd been in the swing and not behind it pushing. “This is nice.” She glanced sideways as Arizona pushed off lightly with her toes, swinging at a slow speed. “Thanks for coming out here with me.”

“I'm glad you're talking with Owen tonight,” Arizona said, both of them confused by her non sequeter but neither commenting on it. “I want you to be happy, I mean.”

Callie started her own swing going, reaching over to catch the chain of Arizona's so they would swing at the same pace. Arizona mirrored her, locking their swings together and pushing them just a bit faster, higher. “It's time we talked it out,” Callie mused. “It's probably past time, really.”

Arizona fought the urge to sigh. It felt like change was in the air, like Callie having an intensely emotional conversation with her husband would somehow wreak a change in her own life. But that wasn't possible. Callie was already married. Staying with her husband would have no affect on her life. Looking at Callie she succumbed to her urge to sigh. She had to get over this, get over Callie. That was the change that needed to occur. She couldn't keep pining for the married woman.

The wind picked up as the sun started to sink and Callie, ever the responsible adult since her children had forced her to become one, suggested they move along toward shelter. They left the park on foot, leaving Arizona's car in the parking lot while they walked the short distance to Callie's house.

Arizona followed Callie onto the porch for some reason she couldn't explain, standing close to her under the awning and watching the last of the sunlight fade into misty night. “I can give you a ride back to your car,” Callie offered quietly.

“No need. It's a short walk.”

“You'll text me when you get back to the car?” Callie checked. “And when you get home?” Arizona gave her a smile, curling her arms around herself to ward off the chill of the evening. Callie's fingers on her elbow gave her a different kind of shiver. “Seriously,” she prompted. “Promise?”

Unable to resist pleading brown eyes, Arizona nodded. It won her a smile that made her stomach flip. Oh yeah, she had to get over this. Callie's fingers stayed on her elbow though, the brunette chewing on her bottom lip as she hesitated on her own doorstep. “If you need to talk after your...” she blushed, grateful for the darkness, “talk, you can call me, you know?”

“Thanks,” Callie said genuinely. She could call Arizona after she talked to Owen. She could tell her about everything, all the things she wanted for her life, how the other woman made her feel, everything she couldn't say now. Without thought, her fingertips tightened infinitesimally on Arizona's arm. Not realizing she was doing it, Callie tugged lightly on the sleeve of her jacket.

Arizona didn't resist the subtle movement, turning (or letting herself be turned) to face Callie. She was suddenly extremely aware of how close they were standing. Any move of more than a few inches forward would have their chests touching. Arizona knew she couldn't make that move. Callie was married. Callie wasn't a cheater. Looking up into her eyes weakened her resolve and Arizona swayed. Callie's hand on her arm held her steady, neither one blinking.

The invisible tension of the moment stretched into the silence. Arizona wasn't even sure she was breathing. Callie knew she wasn't. She was holding her breath to hold herself back. If she exhaled she'd move, and if she moved it would be irrepressible. She wouldn't be able to keep herself from kissing Arizona.

A cool breeze touched the back of her neck and Callie took a half step forward, the hand on Arizona's arm pulling her in to meet her. Lips touched softly at first, two pairs of eyes falling closed at first contact. Callie exhaled through her nose, her heart pounding but not because she was short on air. Kissing Arizona, _finally_ , felt amazing, even this chaste excuse for a kiss. Arizona didn't push her away though, the arm under her hand reaching out to grasp the side of her jacket and pulling her in for more contact.

Callie's mouth fell open as their chests brushed, hips bumping as she moved forward to Arizona's urging. Her tongue peeked out and the woman she was kissing let her in without hesitation. Arizona still tasted faintly of chocolate from her popsicle and Callie moaned. The sound of it ignited something in Arizona and her grip on Callie's jacket tightened, free hand diving into unruly dark hair. It was messier, curlier than usual because of air drying earlier in the day. It felt perfect under her touch. Callie felt perfect.

A noise from inside the house, Owen with one of the kids on the stairs, maybe, made Callie jump, breaking the kiss to breathe hard against Arizona's cheek. “Oh God,” Arizona gasped as the realization sank in. They'd been kissing – Callie had kissed her – on her front porch, with her children right inside. With her _husband_ waiting on her to come home. “I'm sorry.”

“I'm not,” Callie denied her apology without lifting her head. She turned her head in to kiss under Arizona's ear, hearing her breathing go shaky. “I've been wanting to do that for months.” There was another crash from inside and she dragged her head up reluctantly. “I should go,” she whispered. Her head cocked and she started to lean in again. Arizona's lip fell open and Callie forced herself to step back. If she kissed her again she feared she wouldn't want to stop. And she needed to finish things with Owen. Arizona's hands fell away and Callie swallowed the lump in her throat. “Arizona, I -”

“I'm going to go,” Arizona interjected. “Let me know if – if you need to talk?”

Nodding, Callie had to let her go. “Text me at the car,” she reminded her. “I'll see you tomorrow?” She hated that it came out like a question but she wasn't sure where they stood right now, after she'd impulsively kissed her closest friend.

“Of course,” confirmed Arizona from the base of the porch. “Goodnight, Callie.” With that she was walking away into the darkness and Callie was left to face her future on the other side of her front door.


	6. Chapter 6

Callie opened the front door and stepped inside in a daze, leaning back against the door and smiling dopily to herself. She'd just kissed Arizona Robbins. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth unconsciously. And it had been amazing. Arizona was amazing. She wasn’t going to be able to stop thinking about that kiss long enough to have the talk with Owen. At least she wasn't sure she'd be able to stop smiling.

Owen's heavy tread on the stairs announced he was coming but Callie couldn't move from her place against the door, couldn't wipe away her smile. He saw the expression and hesitated at the bottom of the stairs. “Hey,” he murmured. “Everything good?” Owen's weight shifted between his feet. He'd been rehearsing what he wanted to say to Callie when she got home and he wasn't sure he could wait much longer. It would be better for them both to say what they had to say and get this over with.

Callie breathed deep, trying to will the smile to go away. It wasn't as though she was _happy_ about her marriage imploding in slow motion. The truth wouldn't stay behind her teeth, not with her lips still tingling from the feel of Arizona's kiss. “I kissed someone.”

It came out in the same breath as his, “Teddy is a woman.”

Left standing across from their new truths, it took Callie a beat to say anything else. “I want a divorce.” She swallowed thickly, her heart suddenly pounding for a different reason. She wasn't smiling now. All these years she'd wondered if she'd ever have the guts to even say the word 'divorce' and not only had she said it, Owen wasn't arguing. “Whoa,” Callie sighed as it struck her, slumping back against the door.

Owen was frowning, the room quiet as they each tried to adapt to the things they'd each said. And abruptly he was furious, heavy brow furrowed. Callie's frustration flared up just as quickly. “You kissed someone else?!”

“You've been talking to another woman for our _entire marriage_!” Callie countered loudly.

They both realized that they needed to calm this down, keep quiet so the kids didn't wake up and see them ripping into each other. “Who was it?” growled Owen as he stalked into the living room ahead of her. “How long has this been going on behind my back?”

“I don't think you want to word it that way,” Callie pointedly advised, one brow arched in angry disbelief. She wasn't going to let him shame her for _one_ indiscretion (that she couldn't bring herself to regret) while he'd been in some sort of deeply emotional relationship with another woman since before they'd even gotten married.

“Teddy's my best friend!”

“Who you deliberately didn't tell me was a woman!”

“I never kissed Teddy!”

“Oh, grow up!” Callie barked. “It was one kiss!”

“I'm sure you were lonely while I was deployed -” Owen started, trying to justify it to himself.

A scoff from Callie cut him off. “I wasn't lonely while you were gone! And I never cheated on you while you were deployed! I wouldn't do that!” Trying to calm herself, yelling at each other wouldn't solve anything, Callie took a breath and sank to the couch. “I've been lonely since you got back, Owen.” Her voice was quiet now, sad, and he was at a loss. Callie wasn't sad. At least not that she ever let him see.

Owen sat down stiffly, choosing a seat on the opposite wall from his wife. “I'm sorry. I know you wouldn't.” His chest expanded as he breathed deeply. He couldn't relax his jaw though. His muscles felt tight, sore, hard as stone. He believed her when Callie said she hadn't cheated on him while he'd been in Iraq. She had kissed _someone_ though. “Are you going to tell me who he was?”

“Not while you're angry,” Callie stated flatly, sending him a narrow glare. She wasn't going to hide from him anymore but she also knew good sense and would not be mentioning Arizona's name to her husband while he was this still and stern with anger.

“When did this happen? How long has this been going on?” he changed tacks, determined to get information from her.

“Only once.” Callie's voice was still firm and she prayed that she wasn't blushing (or if she was that it would be written off as a flush from their argument). “And very recently. That's all I'm saying about it.”

“Did you sleep with him?”

She stood up at that, shoving one finger in his face defensively. “Of course not! It was one kiss, Owen. If I'd slept with someone else I'd have said that! I said I kissed someone! That's _all_ that happened!” He slapped the hand out of his face on instinct but caught himself before he rose to his feet. “Did you sleep with Teddy?” Callie asked after a pause to make sure he wasn't moving.

His eyes were like ice under his heavy brow. “No.”

“Did you kiss her?”

This time he hesitated and Callie could see him debating with himself. “No.” Callie arched a disbelieving eyebrow at him. “We got... close once or twice. Nothing ever happened after you and I got married though,” Owen stated firmly.

“But you love her,” Callie said, sinking back into her seat. It wasn't a question because she knew the answer. Owen loved Teddy. It explained so much, so many of the pieces that hadn't fit for so long suddenly did.

Owen was on his feet then, though he stayed in his place. “I can't do this now. I'm going to go.”

“To wherever you've been sleeping for the last week?”

His eyes met hers, narrow gaze boring into her. “Callie...”

“So, that's it? We're just done and you're gone?” she asked in stunned disbelief. She knew they were over, that was the reality that she had walked into tonight expecting, but the finality would hit her full force when she watched him walk out the door.

Owen sighed, tucking one hand in his pocket. Callie was rubbing the hand he'd slapped and he felt a stab of remorse coupled with almost relief. He was getting better. And Callie would be free of him soon. She could get her life back. He could get his own life back. They would be better off as individuals, he knew that. “I'm not going anywhere. Not really. I'm not leaving Seattle or the kids.”

“Just me,” Callie chimed in with a weak smirk and a shaky breath. This was harder than she'd thought it would be.

His face was serious and sad but he didn't deny it. “You're leaving me too,” he reminded her. “We're not working. We _don't_ work.” He was right and she knew it. “I'm in therapy.” Callie looked up in surprise. “I have been for a few weeks now. I think it's helping.” His weight shifted between his feet. “She's going to say that I shouldn't make rash decisions right now.”

“This isn't a rash decision,” said Callie softly. This had been inevitable after his last tour. It was only a matter of time, the momentum building up over the course of years until it had become an avalanche.

“No, it's not,” Owen agreed. “For now I'll stay at my mom's and we can work out a time to sit down and talk to the kids?” he suggested. It might be the last thing in the world that Callie ever wanted to do but she nodded silently. “Okay then.” Her head was down and Owen stepped up, kissing the top of her hair and trailing his fingers once across the nape of her neck. “I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight,” Callie whispered out of habit, not moving as her husband went upstairs to pack a bag, trying not to hear as the door closed behind him.

Sleeping in bed with a man who didn't touch her was different than sleeping alone and Callie tossed and turned all night. The lack of sleep helped none when she had to contend with her three children on her own first thing in the morning. She hadn't thought about taking a shower before they woke up, had no time once the three of them were out of bed. It was a reality about ending her marriage that she hadn't thought about yet, being a single mother again. She'd done it before, of course, but she'd gotten used to Owen being in the house to help out.

Her hair was half brushed, a toothbrush still hanging out of her mouth, Gus clinging to her right leg, and she had about five minutes left to leave before she would be late to work when there was a knock on the door. Grumbling, she dragged Gus with her to answer it. Her youngest son was only _slightly_ more relieved than she was to see his father on the other side, releasing her to throw himself onto Owen's leg.

“Hey,” he greeted her, leaning over to pull Angus up and over his shoulder. “It's only for today,” Owen said lest Callie think he was there to express some regret over the night before. “I just figured -”

“Thank you,” Callie said, stepping back to let him in. “I hadn't really thought through how I was going to do this. I'll do better tomorrow.”

Owen nodded reassuringly. “Sure. You have a few minutes,” he reminded her. “I'll keep an eye on them. You go.”

Callie left him in the hall and rushed upstairs to finish a last ditch attempt at her morning routine. She would just have to shower at work, and she only had time for minimal makeup, just enough to hopefully mask the bags under her eyes. Her hair she just finished combing. She could try and fix it later at work.

Getting the kids packed and out the door was not up to their usual standard either, Allegra still pulling her jacket on and dragging her backpack as she was rushed toward her mother's SUV, Gavin running circles around Owen's moving feet while Gus sucked his thumb against his dad's shoulder. “Thanks,” Callie said as he buckled the boys into their seats. “For the backup.”

“They're my kids.” Owen shrugged. “And I do care about you, Callie.” He heaved a sigh. “We're going to have to figure something out though.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, watching Owen try and free the sleeve of his jacket from Gus' tight little grip. “We need to talk about the details of all of this.” They would need to talk to lawyers. Oh God, she would have to tell her parents...

Owen saw her face freeze and then fall. “You're thinking about telling your dad, aren't you?” Callie nodded speechlessly. “Do you think I'll have to leave town?”

“The state, maybe,” Callie answered hoarsely. Her eyes found his, gaze seeking reassurance. “We're doing the right thing, aren't we?”

His answer was calm, steady, and it helped her calm and steady herself. “Yes.” He sighed again as he closed the car door. “That doesn't mean it's easy. It would be wrong if it was easy.” They were both running late but he hesitated, looking at her over the hood of her car. “Maybe we could talk at lunch? I told my mom, but I don't know if I want to stay there for long, and I want to see the kids.”

“We'll work it out,” Callie promised earnestly, nodding her head. “I won't keep them away from you, Owen.”

He nodded back, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Thanks.” He knew that, knew Callie wasn't that kind of woman, wouldn't keep his children away from him out of spite. As long as he kept working on being better, as long as it was safe for the kids, Callie wouldn't take them away from him. “So, lunch?”

Callie hesitated, her keys looped on her finger. Lunch had become time she spent with Arizona. Today though, this needed to come first. “Yeah, okay.”

“I'll see you at work.” Owen raised his voice to be heard inside the vehicle, tapping a knuckle against the window. “And I'll see you guys at daycare.” He got eager noises of agreement and Callie sent him a tight smile. “Later.”

Callie had to stop and drop off the kids on her way in, making herself that much later to the morning meeting, but Ellis didn't say anything directly, just shot a narrow look down the table at her and Owen. He must have been late too. He pushed a still steaming cup of coffee to her as she sat down though and Callie sent him a small smile of thanks.

Arizona hadn't been late to the meeting, was already halfway through her morning cup of coffee, and had had time to do her hair and makeup before work. Callie felt like a mess just sitting beside her at the table. “Hey,” she whispered, grateful when Dr. Grey's eyes slid away from their half of the room.

“Long night?” Arizona asked, her voice low. Callie certainly didn't look like she'd gotten much sleep last night. Making up for lost time with your husband could do that, she reflected, annoyed with herself.

“You have no idea,” sighed Callie, sneaking a sideways glance at Owen, who was dutifully listening to Shepherd talk about a clinical trial he was looking to start. “We're having lunch today,” she reported and Arizona restrained her own sigh. She was pathetic. “But can you and I talk later?”

Arizona schooled her face quickly into a supportive best friend expression. “Sure.”

“About last night...” Callie started, speaking under her breath.

“It's okay,” interrupted Arizona, her gaze sliding to the tablet in her hands. “Later,” she added when she caught Callie's open confusion from the corner of her eye.

Callie was confused, uncertain about almost everything in her life right now. She'd kissed her best friend, the person she'd become closer to than anyone else in the world, on the same night she'd finally acknowledged with her husband that their marriage wasn't working. They were going to end their relationship. She was going to get divorced, be a single mother. She'd been up all night thinking about what it meant, how things were going to change. But still, in the midst of everything, every other thought had been about that kiss.

It was a testament to how badly her morning had started how much better Callie felt after a quick shower in the hospital. She figured that a scone and maybe another cup of coffee could help even more. That idea was swept completely out of her head when she came across the catwalk toward the stairs to hear a familiar laugh. That laugh could make her whole day brighter. Leaning over the railing she caught sight of straight blonde hair at the coffee cart below her.

A short haired brunette standing beside her seemed to be the source of Arizona's mirth but she wasn't someone Callie recognized. She didn't seem to have to try very hard to amuse Arizona, something else she said making the Peds surgeon laugh. Callie felt her jaw tighten, eyes narrowing at the scene below. “Hey, so maybe I could get your number and call you sometime.” The overheard suggestion from Arizona made her fists clench, knuckles white. And of course she was successful, pocketing the number on a napkin and waving as her new friend walked away.

Callie felt her rising mood just plummet as she turned her back on the catwalk railing. She wasn't hungry now, wasn't thirsty. She pretty much just wanted to cry or scream or hit something. And she couldn't see Arizona right now. She didn't have much choice about that though, Arizona coming up the stairs and through the doors behind her.

“Callie! Good morning!” Arizona greeted her too cheerfully. It made Callie's teeth clench. “It looks like you got a fresh start this morning.”

“Yeah,” Callie grumbled, not bothering to hide her distemper. “I guess.”

Arizona's brows dropped as she frowned. “Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?”

“What was that?” demanded Callie, speaking against her own better judgment. She and Arizona were friends. She had no right to question who the other woman spent time with. “I _kissed_ you last night,” she practically hissed under her breath. “And this morning you're asking some girl out right in front of me?!”

Taking a surprised step back Arizona's eyes jumped, never landing on any one thing for more than a split second. “What?” she gasped in surprise. “I didn't know you were here. And who I date isn't up to you, Callie,” she shot back, her voice sharp and low.

“Why?” Callie pleaded, moving forward a step and consciously forcing her hands to relax at her sides. She pressed her palms flat to the outsides of her thighs. She didn't clarify further but Arizona knew what she was asking.

“You know why. Because you're married,” Arizona answered, looking up at her for the space of a heartbeat before she looked away again. “And I'm crazy about you.” Callie sucked in a surprised breath at the candid statement, her whole body rocking forward. “But I need not to be. _You_ need me not to be.” Another half-step back and her retreat was cut off by the wall. Double doors separated them from the Chief's office and the stairs that would get them away from this conversation. If she turned now and walked away Callie wouldn't stop her, wouldn't hold her here. 

Arizona didn't walk away. The wall felt cool against her shoulders, Callie's presence warm before her. “You're working things out with Owen, Callie. And I want to be your friend.” Brown eyes widened in genuine surprise but Arizona pressed on, needing to say her part. “So I need to get over you. And you need to stop looking at me like that,” she said, her voice a quiet whisper as Callie moved closer, a dazzling smile growing on full lips. She wanted to suck on Callie's lower lip, wanted to drag it between her teeth the way she hadn't let herself do last night. Callie's hand brushed her lab coat aside and palmed her side just above her hipbone. “Seriously,” Arizona tried to insist, her voice coming out unsteadily. “We made a mistake last night -”

“It didn't feel like a mistake to me,” Callie murmured, moving in an inch at a time until her body was pressing Arizona's into the wall. She wasn't sure how they hadn't been disrupted yet but she wasn't going to question it.

“Well, it was,” Arizona reiterated, though she didn't try and escape Callie's hold. “You need to stop looking at me like you want to kiss me again.”

“I _do_ want to kiss you again,” whispered Callie honestly, voice husky.

“You are _married_ , Callie!” Arizona reminded her in a last attempt to keep herself from leaning in and kissing her herself.

Callie blinked, her expression faltering for a second. “Last night,” she sighed heavily, “last night I wasn't talking to Owen about working things out,” she said, voice going dull and flat. Oh yeah, while she was flirting with Arizona Robbins in the hallway her marriage had fallen apart. She rocked back on her heels, her hand sliding off of Arizona’s side. “We're getting a divorce.” She breathed unsteadily. “We're having lunch to talk about the kids, figure out a schedule o-or something...”

Arizona's eyes went wide and she took Callie's hand before she could step away entirely. “Hey, no, Callie, talk to me,” she said, sympathetic and caring. “Are you okay?” Her heart could have shattered when Callie struggled not to cry. “Come here,” she urged, pulling her into her arms and hugging her tight. Callie's hands gripped the back of her white coat firmly, her face burying itself in her shoulder. “I'm so sorry.” Arizona stroked soft dark hair, her other hand rubbing Callie's back gently. “It's going to be okay.”

Callie let herself linger in the hug for several long moments, thriving in so much human contact. She could get used to being this close to Arizona. She just wished it wasn't in sympathy for the wreck her life was currently. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly as she took a step back. Arizona took her hand again though, wouldn't let her move too far away. “I didn't mean to go all blubbery on you there.”

“It's okay,” Arizona promised. She took a breath and held it, letting it out as a heavy sigh. “I'm sorry about you and Owen.” Callie nodded, eyes falling. She knew what was coming. “But I can't be your rebound.” How she felt about Callie deserved better than that. She could wait for a chance to be more to Callie than a post divorce fling. “Friends though?” she checked hopefully, leaning in to catch Callie's eyes.

Nodding again, Callie mustered a smile. “Yeah, of course.” She swallowed hard. “Thank you.” Her pager beeped at her waist and she grimaced, wiping her eyes with the hand she reluctantly pulled from Arizona's hold. “Shit. I gotta go.”

“Alright,” Arizona said softly, clenching her now empty hand at her side. “I'll see you later?”

“Yeah,” Callie confirmed. “See you.”

Owen took Arizona’s seat at lunch, his shoulders hunched forward and his elbows on the table as they talked in low voices. News of their divorce would be spread throughout the hospital within a week and they had no desire to get the rumor mill started themselves. The fact that they were eating a meal together in the cafeteria would probably start the rumors going anyway. It wasn't exactly a common occurrence. 

He was going to stay with his mother while he looked for a place, preferably a house, at least an apartment with a playground or a pool or something for the kids. And they were going to talk to the kids as soon as possible, be upfront with them about how things were going to change. The boys wouldn't understand, they were too young, but they would know that their father wasn't around as much. Allegra wouldn't get why, but she deserved to hear it from them.

Owen mentioned lawyers but Callie almost couldn't hear him. Arizona had just come in, the brunette from earlier on her heels. Callie sat up straighter as they got a table across the room, catching Arizona’s almost guilty glance in her direction. “So, I'm thinking it'll mostly be amicable,” Owen tried to joke, Callie forcing a weak smile. She kept sneaking glances across the length of the room. “Is it too much to ask for joint custody?” Owen asked and she looked at him, her expression shocked but serious. “You could come to a session with me,” he offered, desperate to show her that he was getting better, that he could be trusted.

“Of course, Owen,” Callie agreed, reaching out to cover his hand with hers. “You're their father. We'll get joint custody, I promise you.” She rubbed the back of his hand comfortingly. “And this will definitely be the most amicable divorce in Seattle Grace history,” she teased, both of them grimacing at the thought of the stories of Ellis Grey's divorce from Meredith's father that still circulated the hospital. And now they were all witnessing the hostile, angry, hateful divorce proceedings of Addison and Derek, both of them hurt and lashing out, more passionate in their breakup than their marriage had been in years. No, her split from Owen would never be like that. She didn't hate him, she just didn't love him. And she could never put their children in the middle as bargaining chips.

He smiled, turning his hand over to squeeze hers. His thumb brushed the inside of her wrist and she remembered Arizona's hand there only hours ago. Brown eyes found blonde hair across the room again. Arizona was laughing at whatever her lunch companion was saying. She must be the funniest nurse in the damn hospital. Callie had to fight the urge to roll her eyes and scoff. “Thank you,” Owen said gratefully. “And I was serious about therapy. If you ever want to come in for a session you could talk to my doctor.”

Callie tore her gaze away, back to her husband's blue eyes. They weren't the same color blue as Arizona's, more like ice than rich sapphire. “Yeah, okay. Sometime. If it's alright with you,” she told him with a small nod.

“Okay.” Owen was relieved, grateful for how smooth things had gone so far. “I'll get started looking for a place but maybe the kids could stay with me for a few nights in the meantime,” he suggested. “This weekend, or -”

“That's fine,” Callie told him, nodding her head. “Let's plan on that. You can take them home – to your mom's,” she corrected herself with a grimace, “after work on Friday? We could switch cars for the weekend.”

Owen looked sheepish, his hand releasing hers to scrub at the top of his hair. “I'll get some car seats,” he said quickly, looking down to check his pager as it beeped. “Tonight, after work, I promise.”

Callie smiled, licking her lips and trying not to look past him at where Arizona was still talking to her new friend. “It's okay, Owen. We'll take things as we go and we'll figure it all out.” He stood up, combining and taking both of their trays in his hand. He leaned over to kiss her forehead before leaving and Callie's eyes squeezed closed.

When she opened them Arizona was looking in their direction, her expression tight. She blinked and Arizona wasn't looking at her, her face pointed at the woman across the table from her. As if she'd never looked her way at all.


	7. Chapter 7

Callie still wasn't getting much sleep as she adapted to sleeping alone and dealing with her kids on her own but the first Friday after Owen had taken them to their grandmother's house was unbelievable. She was completely on her own for the first time in years and she couldn't even manage to doze off on the couch. Instead she was restless, actively missing the activity that was normally rampant all over her house. The quiet was unnerving. She'd already done all of the laundry, straightened up the living room and the kitchen and it wasn't even nine o'clock.

The jump she gave when her phone buzzed on the coffee table would have been embarrassing if there had been anyone around to see it. Arizona's name on the text indicator made her smile. She felt like an idiot though. As far as she knew Arizona was now happily dating that nurse from Ortho. Callie hadn't had the nerve to ask and if she'd seen her again Arizona had at least had the grace not to flaunt it in front of her. Arizona had always kept her personal relationships out of the hospital though. That was how Ellis Grey preferred it. And Arizona was a private person so it was a policy that worked for her.

_'Hey, what are you up to tonight?'_ Arizona had been supportive and kind since their conversation on the catwalk, a perfect friend when she desperately needed one. But they hadn't been alone together either. It had taken a conscious effort from them both to keep their interactions always somewhere public, where they'd be less tempted.

_'I'm trying to get used to all this quiet,'_ Callie sent back. _'The kids are with Owen for the weekend and I'm already going a little crazy here by myself.'_ She sent the message and typed another. _'What about you? Hot date tonight?'_ She regretted sending it as soon as her finger touched the screen.

Arizona had actually only managed one date with the Ortho nurse, Colleen, during which she'd been completely distracted and disinterested. Colleen hadn't seemed to care about her lack of communication. She felt sure she could have gone home with her if she'd wanted to, despite her bad dinner conversation. Arizona could admit to herself that she'd given it half of a thought before rejecting the idea. She couldn't go home with Callie but that didn't mean she wanted to go with anyone else. Arizona wasn't sure that she was waiting for Callie, exactly. She just hadn't met anyone (else) that interested her, excited her (the way Callie Torres did). At least, that's what she was telling herself. It felt too pathetic to think that she was sitting around getting no sex until Callie was ready to move on from her failed marriage.

_'Nope. Joe's?'_ Arizona sent back. _'You can stay out late and everything,'_ she added teasingly.

Callie grinned to herself, pleased with all of Arizona's reply – the lack of a date and the offer of drinks. How much trouble could she get herself into at Joe's? She wouldn't let herself get drunk like the first time, wasn't sure she could drop her guard that much around Arizona after she'd kissed her and ended her marriage in one week. She feared she might say things she couldn't take back. Or worse, maybe she wouldn't want to take it back. _'I'll see you there in twenty,'_ Callie answered her, pushing herself up from her slouched seat on the couch.

It was actually just over thirty minutes before she got to the bar, having to rush upstairs to change clothes before leaving the house. Like the last time she'd been late to meet Arizona here it proved to be worth the extra effort to slip into a dress she hadn't worn since before Allegra was born, tease her hair into casually unruly waves. Arizona choked on her drink when she caught sight of her and Callie smirked proudly to herself.

“You did that on purpose,” Arizona accused her, wiping her chin with a snatched bar napkin. And she wasn't the only person who'd noticed, spotting several other eyes tracking Callie's route across the room. She'd already ordered a drink for Callie but she took it before her friend could reach for it, draining it herself. “For that, you can get the next round,” she declared, waving Callie toward the bar and pushing their empty glasses into her hands. And she could take the time to compose herself.

Callie was still wearing her smug grin when she returned to the table with their refreshed drinks. “You should be grateful I did it. Joe gave me these on the house.”

“Yeah? Did you let him look down your dress?” Arizona shot back, reaching over the table to take her drink. She was very grateful that she was wearing that dress, though it was more for the amount of Callie's toned thighs she could see below the hem and not for the free drink potential it presented them with. She felt sure she'd go out of her mind with jealousy when the inevitable guys started coming over to buy Callie drinks. If she had to watch them dance with her she'd probably have to leave. She sighed and took a long sip off her drink. Joe had made it heavy, good. Arizona was starting to think she should have just gone home with Colleen.

Callie toasted with her glass. “That wouldn't work on him anyway and you know it.”

“Those would work on anyone, believe me,” Arizona informed her, smirking behind her glass and trying to sneak a peek.

Callie was looking down at herself and missed it. “Thanks,” she said happily. “I haven't worn this dress since I was single. Or previously single, I guess.”

Arizona almost choked again but stopped herself. “Cruising for a date tonight?” she asked, an unintended edge in her tone.

Looking at her over the rim of her glass Callie took a second to answer. “No. I've got my eye on someone already,” she said without taking her eyes off Arizona. And she'd only been single for a few days, hadn't even sat down with a lawyer to get the paperwork started. She hadn't told her children yet. “The timing's not quite right yet though.” She smiled almost shyly across the table at Arizona. “Tonight I just wanted to look nice. For me.”

Arizona smiled back at her, lifting her glass to clink against Callie's. “Success,” she approved wholeheartedly. “How are you doing? With the being single?”

Callie shrugged, taking a sip and putting her drink down. She dragged a fingertip lightly around the rim. “I'm getting my single mom routine back one day at a time. The kids are still adjusting to Owen being gone, obviously.”

“What about you?” Arizona asked, leaning forward.

“What about me? Am I still adjusting to Owen being gone?” Callie's head shook from side to side. “Other than another pair of hands on deck for childcare there's nothing much to adjust to. We never really talked. And the kids are what we have in common. Not a lot to miss, really.” She finished her drink in another swallow and shook her head as the alcohol burned on its way down. “But I can sleep in the middle of the bed, which I like.” Arizona blinked, surprised by her candor. “It's not like we've had sex in a year...?” she said, trying to work it out in her head. “God, two years!” she realized aloud, gaping. “I need another drink. Be right back.”

Arizona was left baffled at the table in her wake. How had Owen Hunt slept beside that woman every night for two _years_ and not touched her? She couldn't comprehend spending one night with Callie without touching her. Which is _exactly_ why they were just friends. Callie's separation from her husband didn't seem to have left her reeling or spiraling at all. She still seemed like herself. If not freer, more relaxed, happier, _passionate_. It was stunning to witness.

Callie was back at the table quickly and Arizona grinned. “Did you have to pay for that one?”

“Yes,” shot back Callie with a matching grin. “How will my single surgeon salary handle it?”

“Oh, shut up.” Arizona shoved her shoulder lightly and Callie missed her straw. She had already had one drink and was determined to slow down. “So, it's really not too bad? I've been worried about you.”

Callie wanted to laugh off the concern but she didn't. “It's only been a few days, but it was the right choice for us. Owen and I, we don't work. Not as husband and wife. We're good as friends,” she mused. “We were great in bed.” Arizona twitched and Callie grimaced apologetically. “He's a great dad. The kids love him.” She sighed, taking another drink through the narrow straw. “But we were never in love with each other. He was never the one I wanted to grow old with.” She stirred her glass with the straw. “And now it's done. Maybe it never should have happened to begin with,” she mused. “My life could have been so different.” Shaking off the morose feeling she mustered a smile. “But then I wouldn't have the kids. Or I would have different kids, with someone else.” Forcing a grin, she shook her head. “I'm going to stop talking now,” she told Arizona sheepishly. “Sorry about that.”

“No problem,” promised Arizona.

“Do you want to play darts, or dance, or something?”

The idea of dancing with Callie, pressing close, moving against her body, it was too much right now. She couldn't put them in a position to fail. Callie wasn't ready, was worth waiting for. “Darts,” Arizona decided, gesturing toward the board with her glass.

Callie was good, taking her time to line up her shots and hitting her target more often than not. And she was relaxed, funny, flirty, charming. It took everything Arizona had not to find reasons to touch her, brush dark hair back, graze her fingers down Callie's arm, slip her palm across the small of her back. Callie's phone rang in the middle of the second game and Arizona took her turn while she answered it.

“Hey, Owen. I hope the kids are already in bed,” Callie greeted him with a laugh. It was after eleven now. She was still working on her second drink though and felt almost entirely sober. Full and complete sobriety came when she heard her husband's voice, strained and tense in her ear.

“Mom's got the boys but I'm in the truck with Allegra. We're on our way to the hospital.”

“Oh my God, why?!” Callie's tone alerted Arizona and she turned from the dartboard with a dart still in her hand. “What happened?!”

“She's running a fever, tender abdomen, all the signs of appendicitis.”

Callie's eyes jumped to Arizona, reaching out to grip her friend's wrist. “Okay, we're coming in now,” Callie informed him. “How far out are you?”

“I'll be pulling in the ER in five minutes.”

“We'll be there.” She hung up her phone without another word. “Owen's bringing Allegra in. It looks like she's got appendicitis. Will you – would you -?”

Arizona had already put down the dart, pushed her drink back, and gathered her purse and jacket in her free hand. “Of course. Let's go.”

They hustled across the street and up the sidewalk toward the ER doors, Callie jogging slightly ahead of Arizona and still holding her friend's wrist. Arizona let herself be pulled along without complaint though. The doors slid open to let them in and Callie rushed them straight past the entry desk. Owen was leaning over the bed where Alex Karev was checking his daughter and Callie tugged Arizona forward, pushing her to the bedside with Alex while she joined Owen. “Hey, baby girl.”

“Mama, you're here,” Allegra moaned, breathing heavy.

Owen stepped back to let Callie lean in to kiss their daughter's forehead. He had to take another look when he noticed what she was wearing. Had this interrupted Callie on a date? Was she out with whoever she'd kissed? His eyes jumped to where a casually dressed Arizona Robbins was checking Karev's notes. Callie had come in with her though. They were friends. He knew that. They'd probably just been out for a drink together.

“Of course I am, sweetheart,” hummed Callie into her ear, brushing sweaty hair back. “You don't feel good?” She glanced up when Alex leaned over to whisper to Arizona. “What? What is it?”

The two Peds surgeons exchanged looks and Arizona tilted her head away from the bed. “Let's talk over here. Karev, you go get the ultrasound to confirm,” she ordered. She wasn't on the clock but was still the Head of Peds.

Callie knew what that meant. “She needs surgery? Can you do it?”

Arizona shook her head immediately. “That's not a good idea. I've been drinking, remember?”

“You had two. Over, what, three hours? You're not drunk,” Callie denied her.

“Callie!” Owen objected shortly. Robbins was the best kid surgeon in the country, he knew that. But he wouldn't let her near his little girl with a scalpel if she'd been drinking. And he didn't care if that hurt Callie's friend's feelings. His eyes narrowed at them suspiciously. There was something about the way they talked to each other, the close proximity they were comfortable being in with the other. Arizona glanced at him as Callie turned on him but couldn't keep his gaze, her eyes flicking away.

“She's the best, Owen!”

“It's an appie,” Arizona interjected before they could start shouting at each other in the OR where they all worked. “Karev can do it. He's my best. But I'll observe if you want me to,” she added before Callie could object again. “But it's easy, remember? We all learned appies our first year. It's going to be fine.” She impulsively hugged Callie, stepping back almost as quickly as she'd made contact. Owen was looking at them again. “I promise.” Callie was the one who took her hand, squeezing down as she sought comfort.

“Dr. Robbins.” Alex called her back to the bed and left their patient's parents watching from behind them.

Owen's arms crossed his chest, posture stiff and rigid. “She's the one you kissed,” he said under his breath. “How did I miss this? You're always together, you eat lunch with her every day, you whisper back and forth in the meetings...”

“She's my friend,” Callie said. “That's it.”

“You're telling me you didn't kiss her? That you don't have feelings for her?” he challenged her, stepping closer in an attempt to keep his voice from rising.

Callie didn't look up at him, let her eyes drift to Arizona. “I kissed her,” she confirmed. “And I have feelings for her. But nothing happened. And nothing is going to happen. She doesn't want to be a rebound from our divorce.”

Owen blinked, surprised to hear exactly how much Callie had shared with her friend. He'd never been granted such insight into her thoughts, how she felt. “You told her?”

“All of it,” Callie told him shortly. “She's my best friend. Is this seriously what you're worried about right now?” she asked him in impatient disbelief. “Allegra is sick.” His jaw tightened at the reminder and he nodded. “Arizona?”

Arizona had been ignoring their conversation in an attempt at privacy, her eyes on the ultrasound monitor. She turned when Callie said her name. “Alex is already setting up an ER and I'll take her up myself. Are you going to be able to observe, or I can update you?”

Callie glanced over her shoulder at Owen, his tight jaw and squared shoulders. They couldn't just wait in the waiting room while their daughter was being cut open. “We'll observe,” she said, looking back at Arizona.

“Okay,” the Peds surgeon said slowly. “Let's go, then.”

Owen took up pushing his daughter's bed, Callie walking alongside and holding Allegra's hand. In the elevator she sat lightly on the edge of the bed, whispering reassurances to the little girl. It left Arizona to observe the family from the side, sick little girl and worried parents. Callie was humming to her, her forehead against Allegra's. “I want you to fix me, Mommy.”

“I can't, sweetheart,” Callie said softly. “I can't be your doctor because I love you too much to ever operate on you.” Her eyes snuck up to find Arizona watching. “Dr. Robbins is the best doctor in this entire hospital. I think in the whole world. People feel so much better after she helps them. Sometimes people feel better just after she walks in the room.” She certainly did, anyway. “Cause she has got this _super_ magic smile. When she smiles at you, everything gets better,” Callie whispered, barely loud enough to be heard.

“I think you're the best, Mama,” Allegra insisted. “You and Daddy.”

“Right now Dr. Robbins is the best, okay? She and Dr. Alex are going to take good care of you.” She kissed her baby's forehead and Allegra's eyes closed. “And me and Daddy will be right here the whole time,” she promised.

The elevator door opened and Owen guided the bed out without waiting for Callie to slide off. She simply rode along, free hand on the railing to keep herself stable. Arizona followed behind, one hand clasping the opposite wrist behind her back. “Okay, I'm going to go change and scrub. OR three,” she directed them. They knew the way and it would spare her from being the silent bystander to Callie's family.

Sometimes it felt like that's how she existed in Callie's life. Callie had her family, her husband and her kids, parents in Miami, a mother-in-law across town. And then there was her, in her life but not really connected to the rest of it. In the peripheral. That was where she'd chosen to stay, she reminded herself firmly as she pulled on Alex's spare scrubs that were much too big for her. Because Callie was also in the midst of ending her marriage, trying to rediscover how to be on her own, becoming a single mother. And she couldn't just push herself into the middle of all of that. Being there for her however she could from the sidelines was the best thing she could do for Callie. Being Callie's friend was the only option for them right now.

The anxious parents were already in the gallery by the time she returned to the operating room, Alex preparing to make the first cut. It was an easy surgery, peanuts for an experienced Peds surgeon, but he knew that getting an intern to take over wasn't an option when the patient on the table was a co-worker's daughter. So he didn't grit his teeth when Arizona looked over his shoulder, grateful that she refrained from offering advice at least. If her presence kept the two upstairs calm then he could deal for an hour.

Callie had taken the seat front and center, her hands in her lap as she sat stiffly and stared down at the operating theater below. Owen was sitting in the row behind, had deliberately chosen a seat one to the left of being directly behind his wife. From here he could see where her eyes drifted, watch her expression, without being observed himself. Callie watched every move of Karev's hands, barely blinking. Until Arizona moved. And then her gaze flickered to track her friend. And she was beautiful. The way her eyes softened, her tense shoulders relaxing momentarily when she looked at the other woman, it was amazing to witness.

The burning bubble of jealousy it caused in his chest was a bit amazing to him too. He and Callie didn't work outside of the bedroom. And they hadn't worked there since almost the birth of their boys. They were getting a divorce (or would be as soon as they sat down with their lawyer and filed the papers), and if Callie was moving on with her life he should be happy for her. He wasn't happy now though, watching her eyes light up for someone else. And it wasn't that her affections had fallen on a woman, he wasn't that petty. He'd heard the whispers after their shotgun wedding, that Callie had previously been dating Erica Hahn. Clearly she had a thing for blondes.

He envied the fact that the person Callie had feelings for was right in front of her while he couldn't straighten his own mind out to figure out _who_ he felt for. Cristina Yang was the only person in his life who didn't fear setting him off but she was Callie's student. And he felt better when he was with her, but they didn't talk in the boiler room. Not that they did anything else either. He was as chastely devoted to his marriage as Callie had been. On the other hand Teddy knew him, knew everything about him, didn't even have to see his face, could read him through only a few typed words on the computer screen. But she was still over there. Maybe he was just jealous that Callie knew who it was she wanted and that person was right there, she could have her.

Arizona looked up into the gallery to see Owen watching Callie. Callie was watching Alex though, her eyes jumping to meet hers. Alex was finishing his last stitch and she sent a reassuring thumbs up to the gallery. Owen twitched when he realized he'd been caught staring. Alex stepped back from the table and sent a nod of his own up to the watching parents. Owen stood up and went to the intercom panel on the wall. “Thank you.”

“Sure thing, Dr. Hunt, Dr. Torres,” Alex answered, stripping off his gloves and gown while Arizona stepped around him to push the bed out. “She'll be in room 2112.”

“Thank you,” Callie said, pushing herself to her feet. Her arms were wrapped around her middle and she looked up at Owen when he put his jacket over her shoulders. “Thanks,” she said more softly. His jacket was heavy canvas, oversized and warm. It smelled like his aftershave. At one time he would have put a hand on her back to walk her out but he didn't touch her now, just followed a half-step behind her.

Arizona was in the room, at Allegra's bedside when they arrived. She backed off silently as soon as Callie and Owen came through the door. She didn't leave though, posting herself beside the door. Callie was at the bed immediately, brushing dark curls back from her daughter's face.

Owen stopped in the doorway, his arms crossing his chest. Arizona was right beside him but he didn't look at her. “She cares about you,” he said, voice low.

“I know,” Arizona whispered. “I care about her too.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” He didn't wait for an answer, stepping forward to join his family at the bed. “I'm going to call my mom, let her know everything's okay.”

Arizona left the room then, not sure why Owen Hunt had just said what he'd said to her. She was sure that she didn't have a place at that bedside though, so she left. She didn't get far, Callie on her heels. “Hey, where are you going?” She was pulled into a sudden hug, her arms sliding around Callie's middle of their own volition. “I didn't say thank you yet.” Arizona breathed deep and let her chin rest on Callie's shoulder for an extended moment.

“You don't have to say anything,” she said, taking a step back and mustering a smile. “I didn't do anything.”

“Okay, then what did Owen say to you?” Callie asked shrewdly, cocking an eyebrow at her.

“He knows, about us, I think,” Arizona said, licking her lips and flicking her eyes away. “Not that there's an _'us'_ to know about...”

Callie blinked, bottom lip falling open as she drew in a breath. “He knows.” Arizona looked surprised at the confirmation. “I'm not going to hide from him anymore.”

“Well, I think he gave us his blessing or something, then.” It was Callie's turn to look surprised, brown eyes wide. “He asked what I was waiting for.” Callie's expression fell slightly. She was what was holding them back. She had baggage she had to deal with. “You're worth waiting for, Callie,” Arizona whispered, stepping closer to drag two fingers down the side of her neck. Callie picked her head up and their eyes met. Arizona only recognized how close they'd drawn in when Callie wet her lips. She took a full step back this time, both of them breathing deeply. “You've got somewhere to be,” Arizona reminded her. “People who need you.” And there was no room for her in there.

“Arizona...”

She shook her head. “It's okay. Go. If you need anything, you can call me. And Karev is on duty tonight, so he'll be around.”

“You don't have to go,” Callie tried again.

“This is your family, Callie.” Arizona was gentle, speaking slowly. “I'll see you tomorrow.”

Sighing, Callie nodded. “Text me when you get home, please.” Arizona's lip quirked into a smile and made a shallow dimple in her cheek as she nodded. “And thank you.” Another smile, her head dipped, and Arizona started to turn. She couldn't just let her walk away though. Callie took a quick step forward and caught her wrist, spinning her into herself and meeting gasping lips with her own. Arizona adapted quickly, fingers slipping under Owen's jacket and finding a grip on the sides of Callie's dress. Soft, full lips sucked lightly on her bottom lip and she had to restrain a moan that wanted to slip out. They were in the hallway at work, she was wearing a dress that made her feel ten years younger, and anyone could walk up and see them. But she was kissing Arizona and she couldn't bring herself to care about more than that.

“We're friends,” Arizona breathed between kisses. One hand was on Callie's chest but she didn't push her back, didn't pull her closer, just kept her in place. “Friends don't kiss.”

Callie kissed her again anyway. Maybe that wasn't as hard and fast a rule as she'd thought it was. The kiss was softer, more slow, and Arizona let herself surrender to kissing her back. Her hand on Callie's chest slipped up to curl around the back of her neck. Maybe she would regret letting herself lapse like this, maybe this whole thing would burn her life to the ground, but she simply _couldn't_ step back right now.

Breathing heavily as the kiss ended slowly Arizona blinked her eyes open. “Is it just me or does it get better each time?”

“Not just you,” Callie confirmed breathlessly, smiling. “You could come back in with me,” she suggested. “Owen knows and apparently doesn't care.”

Arizona shook her head again. “I don't care if he cares. I care about you. And you still need to tell your daughter that you're divorcing her father. She doesn't need to hear about us too.”

Callie's eyes blinked rapidly a few times in her surprise. “Us?” she questioned, grin growing at Arizona's slip of the tongue.

Blue eyes rolled. “You know what I mean.” Callie's grin didn't slip. “Well, if you're going to get all grumpy when I ask out other girls...” she reasoned teasingly. The grin slipped then. “And apparently you feel okay with just kissing me whenever you want to.”

Callie's pleased expression returned. “Oh, it's not _nearly_ every time I want to,” she told the other woman, winning an encouraging smile from Arizona. “But I'm very okay with kissing you.” She bumped her nose against Arizona's. “I'd be open to kissing you more.”

“We can talk about that sometime,” Arizona said, pecking a kiss just beside her mouth. “But you need to talk to Owen and the kids first,” she reminded her seriously. “Allegra will be waking up soon. You should be there.” She smiled softly. “I'll see you tomorrow.”

Callie let her step back, Arizona's fingers playing with a pinch of her dress before she let her hands fall. “I'll see you tomorrow.” Arizona took another step away without turning her back. “We'll talk about the kissing,” Callie added, shooting a wink at her before she returned to her husband and sleeping daughter on the other side of the door.


	8. Chapter 8

Her plans for the evening, a deeply emotional conversation with her husband and their children about the divorce, had completely slipped Callie's mind until she reached the daycare to find Owen with the twins already climbing all over him. They'd worked out a tentative schedule on paper but needed to tell the kids before they could implement it. There were only so many times Callie could use the excuse that Owen had to work late with Allegra when he wasn't there for dinner. The boys didn't know why, just that their daddy wasn't home at night, wasn't the one who got them out of their crib in the mornings.

“Hey,” he greeted her with a small smile, standing up with Gavin over his shoulder and Angus wrapped around his left leg. “Are you ready for this?”

Callie sighed, shaking her head. “I let it completely slip my mind, actually. Sorry.” She grimaced.

“Well, I got the first batch of paperwork from the lawyer's office at lunch. If everything's good we can sign it tonight,” Owen said, reaching up with one hand to hold Gavin's back. “We'll still have ninety days before the judge will grant it,” he said, avoiding the word divorce for now. “But it's a start.” He'd left home three weeks before, was still staying with his mother, and they'd met with the lawyer over their lunch break Monday after his first weekend with the kids.

“Yeah,” she sighed. “Okay.”

He was sympathetic but they couldn't put this off. “I think I found a place,” he said into the silence. “I thought maybe we could ride by and take a look at it later this week.”

“You don't need my approval, Owen,” Callie reminded him pointedly. “That's one of the side effects of this.”

“I know,” he said, tilting his head away automatically when Gavin's little hand swung toward his ear. “But I want you to be comfortable leaving them with me wherever.”

Callie nodded. “Okay.” She couldn't discuss this with him right now. “Let's go then. Where's Allegra?”

“I took her to Peds. She said her stomach hurt so Dr. Karev insisted on doing a followup check.” The corner of his mouth quirked just slightly. “I think he might have been coerced by someone.”

“Or Allegra has a crush on him. He's cute,” Callie said without missing a beat, not taking the bait. She and Arizona were close, had occasionally kissed. (Though not since that kiss in the hallway after Allegra's surgery.) It was none of his business. And she wasn't going to discuss it with him.

Owen's jaw tightened at the thought of his little girl finding any male appealing. “How about I'll take the boys and you get the princess? Meet you at the house? We'll do the thing after dinner?”

“Yeah, sure, sounds good,” Callie answered, narrowing her eyes at him. His jaw got tight every morning sitting across from Arizona at the meeting and he didn't look at either of them. Now he was deliberately sending her up there where he knew she'd see Arizona. She couldn't put her finger on what was going on with him exactly, but she couldn't deny her need to see her friend today.

He clapped his hand against Gavin's back. “Okay, Mommy's got your sister, so you're with me, troops. Let's roll out,” Owen said, his other hand reaching down to take both of Angus'. The little boy jumped and Owen swung him gently as he started walking. Both boys shrieked happily and Callie sent an apologetic smile to the nurses on duty in the daycare.

The elevator was empty, the ride back upstairs quiet. Callie knew they had to do this, the fundamentals of their children's lives were changing and they had to tell them, try and explain why. But she wasn't sure she could do it. It was one thing to know that she and Owen didn't work, to talk about divorce. It was something else entirely to move forward with that divorce, tell her kids that their father wasn't going to be living with them anymore, that they were going to be spending days and nights in a new place, their father's new house.

The doors opened and Callie found herself facing an oblivious Arizona. Her head was down, eyes trained on the chart she was reading. The ding of the elevator made her look up. “Hey,” she greeted Callie perkily, expression fading quickly when she caught the look on Callie's face. She quickly stepped into the elevator with her, one hand on Callie's arm to keep her in place. Pushing a button blindly shut the doors and Arizona pulled the stop button. “What's wrong? Are you okay?”

Knowing better by now than to even attempt to dodge subjects with Arizona, Callie answered, “We're telling the kids tonight. And Owen got the paperwork from the lawyer today, so we're signing it after we talk to the kids. And he said he wants me to look at a place he found.” She paced a short path from one side of the elevator car to the other. “It just, it all feels like a lot! And it's stuff I knew was coming, of course, I'm not stupid, but it's all happening really quickly and I'm a little in over my head.”

“You're not,” Arizona objected gently. “It's a lot. And it's supposed to feel big and overwhelming. It's a big deal. But you can handle it.” Callie looked at her, pouty lips and pleading puppy eyes, and Arizona stepped in, hugging her. “You _can_ do this, Calliope.” Callie's hand slid down her arm, lacing their fingers when she reached Arizona's hand.

Breathing deep, Callie curled her other arm around the blonde's shoulders. “Thank you.” Arizona saying her name like that made her heart jump. Arizona in her arms made her feel calm. Like she could actually do everything that was coming. “I want to take you to dinner,” she said suddenly. “If you're up for it.”

Arizona leaned back to see her face. “What?” she asked, a smile on her lips in spite of herself.

“I want to take you out,” Callie repeated herself. “Like a date.”

Arizona stepped back, surprised. “Callie...”

“I know what you're going to say – it's too soon, and I'm still married, but we're telling the kids today, and we're signing the papers and we just have to wait the ninety days for a judge to grant it and make it all official, and Owen is probably moving the rest of his stuff out soon, and I need something good to look forward to. You know I'm into you, Arizona. It's not a secret. But I want to go on a date with you. I want to see if this thing is real.”

Blinking blue eyes, Arizona took a moment to consider her answer. Callie had only been separated from her husband for a few weeks. But she knew what their marriage had been like – two people raising children under the same roof. They hadn't been a couple in a long time, not really. They were just now getting around to putting closure on it, that was all. Callie was trying to move forward. And if she wanted to move forward with her, then she would be glad. That was all there was to it.

“If you're sure, then yes,” said Arizona softly, speaking slowly. Callie's grin was instantaneous, brightening her entire being. It took Arizona's breath away. “But we are going to take things slow,” she said before she got lost in Callie's arms and lost her sense. “So I'm not sleeping with you, Callie Torres. Not yet, at least.”

A brow arched in disbelief, challenge. “Oh, you don't mean that.”

“You think I can't control myself?” Arizona didn't back down, a playful grin growing on her lips. “You forget I've already seen you topless. I can keep myself under control just fine.” Of course, the sight of Callie sans shirt had rendered her sweaty and speechless but she wasn't going to remind her of that part.

“Don't give me that!” Callie objected, squeezing her hand and turning them suddenly so that she was pressing Arizona against the elevator wall. “You want me,” she said, voice a low, husky growl.

Arizona's breathing went shaky. She couldn't deny it. “I've said it before,” she answered, swallowing hard. “You're worth waiting for, Calliope.” She knew her full name off her tongue affected Callie, and turnabout was fair play right now.

It succeeded, Callie dropping her face into her shoulder and groaning in protest. “That's not fair!”

“I know,” Arizona said smugly. “But we need to do this right.” Both hands, one still holding the chart she'd been reading, pushing Callie gently back by her shoulders. “And you need to go get your daughter, remember?”

Callie nodded, smile strained again as the realization of what was coming sank back in. “Yeah.”

“But the date, you and me, we're on,” Arizona reminded her. “For whenever you can figure it out.” Callie blinked, surprised. “Hey, you asked me out. You make the plan,” she insisted. “I'm traditional like that.” Stepping around Callie she pushed the stop button back into place and then triggered the doors to open, the two of them getting off the elevator.

Arizona was a few steps ahead and Callie quickstepped to catch up. “Hey, where'd you stash my kid?” she asked, sounding much better than she'd been when Arizona had found her on the elevator.

“Alex has her at the desk,” Arizona answered with a smile. “I think she's a little smitten with him, if I'm being honest.”

Callie groaned, grinning. “Oh, excellent. Owen is going to be thrilled.” They turned the corner and Callie spotted her little girl sitting on the counter of the nurse's desk, kicking her feet and twirling a curl around her finger as she giggled at something Alex had just said. “Hey, kiddo. Everything good?” she asked Alex.

“Yes, Dr. Torres. Everything checks out just fine.” He nodded, pushing his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose with a finger. Allegra looked like she might melt right off the edge of the desk and Callie exchanged smirks with Arizona.

“Great. Well, short stack, you're with me.” Allegra whined under her breath about the nickname, wisely keeping it mostly inaudible. “Dad's got the boys so they'll beat us home.”

She perked up immediately at the news that her father would be home. It made Callie feel guilty. Allegra was going to be devastated when they told her. “Daddy's home tonight?” She jumped down off the counter ably, showing no sign that she was still tender from her surgery and grabbing her mother's hand. “Let's go, Mama!”

Callie caught Arizona’s eyes before being dragged away, gaze conflicted again. Arizona only had time for the gesture of a fleeting hand across the small of her back before Callie was gone.

Allegra was hyper and happy in the car, chattering the whole ride home. She unbuckled her seat in the driveway when she saw her father's truck, tugging impatiently on her childproofed door until Callie came around to let her out. Then she was tearing her way across the yard, leaving her mother to follow. “Daddy!”

“We're home,” Callie called as she let them into the house. “Guys?”

“In here,” replied Owen from the kitchen. Allegra was already rushing in that direction and Callie kicked off her shoes and hung her bag on the banister before trailing after her. “The little men were a bit famished, so they've already started on some nuggets, but the main course is coming out of the oven in a few.”

Callie nodded, mustering a smile. “Thank you.”

She didn't speak through dinner, the kids chattering at Owen without stopping. They were excited that he was home. The truth of the evening was going to devastate them. Then Owen was going to leave and she would have to comfort the boys when they woke up and cried in the middle of the night tonight. She would have to cope with Allegra's pitiful expression (or worse, her confused anger) in the morning.

Owen noticed but, like always, said nothing about her silence. Her routine felt safer right now than facing what she knew was coming. So she let the kids herd Owen into the living room while she cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher, wiping the kids' spilled food residue from the table before it could cement. It was quick, efficient, and soon she didn't have any excuses to delay the inevitable.

Looking up when Callie appeared in the doorway Owen cleared his throat from the couch, drawing the attention of their children. The boys were tussling over something on the floor but they sat up immediately, pale blue eyes wide. It made something in Owen's chest tighten to see how his own children were subconsciously wary of him, even when they were excited that he was home. Sitting beside him on the couch Allegra went still. Callie took a seat on the opposite couch and met his eyes. Sighing, he nodded. “Well, guys, your mom and I need to talk to you about something. And it's really important, okay?”

Callie knew she should speak up, say something, but she found herself completely speechless. She'd never wanted to hurt her children. And this was going to break their hearts. She couldn't let Owen do this on his own. It wasn't his fault their marriage was over. “Dad and me aren't going to be living together anymore,” she said, trying to get it out and over with.

The twins just blinked, their heads swinging from side to side to look at either parent before they looked at each other again, communicating silently between themselves the way they did. Neither moved though, just sat on the floor blinking at each other.

Allegra's reaction was more obvious, her face screwing up as she flung herself into Owen's side. “I'm sorry,” he said softly, hugging her to him as her arms wound around him.

“Don't go, Daddy!” she pleaded, voice muffled by tears.

“I'm not going,” Owen said. “Not far. I'm just not living here anymore. But I'm going to get a house close to Mommy's house and you guys will stay there with me sometimes.”

“I want to stay with you, Daddy!” cried Allegra, clinging tighter to him. Callie had to squeeze her eyes closed, trying to keep from crying.

“Everybody's going to stay with both Mommy and me,” he tried to explain. “Like take turns, sweetheart. It's going to be okay.” He kissed the top of her head and snuck a glance at Callie. Her eyes were still closed, her expression pained. The twins, in another moment of silent synchronization, were crawling toward her feet to comfort their mother. “I promise you. Your mom and I love you and your brothers more than anything, Allegra. Everything is going to be okay. It'll be an adjustment, but we're still a family.”

Callie felt little hands on her feet, tugging on her slacks, and opened her eyes. Gavin and Gus were looking up at her with matching soft expressions, Angus' lower lip starting to tremble. He was normally the first to cry of all of the kids. If Allegra was already crying he would only waffle for a few more seconds before his tears would start in earnest. Trying to keep them all from spiraling into tears Callie leaned over, picking up Angus and then Gavin and settling them both in her lap. Gus slumped quickly against her chest, his thumb in his mouth.

“You guys okay?” she checked in a whisper, combing gentle fingers through soft fair hair on either side. Neither spoke but Gavin shifted to put his head in her lap, laying down and stretching out. Callie rubbed his back soothingly. Her little men were already so strong and silent. She loved it at the same time that she hated it. She was not going to let this divorce turn her sons, too young to even understand what was happening, into the men of the house. She and Owen were the adults here, not their already astoundingly mature children. Growing up in this house had done this to them but it was over.

Owen was still watching her when Callie looked up, her dark eyes serious. She shook her head once silently. He could read her expression – regret, determination, finality. They were done. He wasn't objecting, didn't disagree. Their priority was the kids. They were all they'd had in common anyway. Picking up Allegra, Owen shifted them to the couch with Callie. It was the closest they'd been in months in any sense of the word – physical proximity as well as their united desires for the future, their future as individuals who happened to be raising the same kids.

“We're your parents and we love you,” Callie told them all, reaching over to stroke her daughter's dark curls. “And things are going to change, but that never will.”

“I don't want nothing to change,” hiccuped Allegra, her face buried in her father's chest.

He sighed, looking at Callie steadily. “It has to, baby,” she breathed. “And it's going to be bad for a while. It's going to take all of us time to adjust. I promise it'll get better though.”

Allegra didn't fight further, sniffling against Owen's shirt. Over her head he breathed, “I'll stay until they're asleep.” Callie nodded, too emotionally exhausted to contemplate trying to get them all to bed on her own.

Gus was clinging to her, Allegra to Owen, as they gradually succumbed to fitful sleep. Owen tucked an arm under Allegra and helped Callie up, his free arm scooping up Gavin. Callie led the way up the stairs, each of them putting the boys in their bed and crossing the hall to put Allegra in her bed. She whimpered and whined as Owen pried her arms off of him but didn't wake up.

Callie didn't linger, leaving Owen to follow her back down the stairs. She stopped abruptly at the base, turning to face him. “I hate this,” she confessed without meeting his eyes. They weren't done yet though. The night wasn't over for her. She could only hope that signing the papers would be easier than telling their kids about the divorce.

“I know,” Owen said quietly, reaching for her cheek before he thought better of the gesture. He wasn't the person to comfort Callie. He never had been. “But the hard part's over,” he reminded her, hoping it would help.

“Let's get it done,” said Callie shortly, brushing past him toward the kitchen. His bag was on the floor right inside the room and she picked it up, opening a pocket blindly and digging around for the folder she wanted. There were case files, random pages, but not the ones she was looking for and she switched pockets.

“Callie -”

Owen's voice from behind her should have warned her, but the picture of him with a tall, skinny woman with long dirty blonde waves of hair, both of them in olive drab and grinning, shocked her out of her single minded search. She turned slowly, the picture in her hand. “This is Teddy.” It wasn't a question because she knew the answer already. “She's pretty.” Owen sighed, his shoulders squaring. “She's really pretty.”

“You're gorgeous,” Owen declared, still determined to be loyal.

Callie mustered a weak smile, her head shaking a negative. “You don't have to do that, Owen.”

“I'm not – Callie, you are gorgeous. Teddy is a friend. That's it,” Owen said flatly.

“You picked me because I got pregnant,” Callie reminded him. “It's okay.” She sighed, turning back to the table and putting the picture down. “Soon you can make the choice you should have made then,” she said, swallowing hard.

Owen took a step toward her but still didn't touch her. “I'm sorry for how things turned out, Callie, but I have never regretted choosing you.”

“You don't have to say that,” Callie told him, glancing at him over her shoulder. “We're getting a divorce, remember?”

He sighed, taking another step forward and reaching over her hand into his bag. He found the folder they needed easily. “Here.” Callie retrieved a pen from the front of the bag and fidgeted anxiously with the cap. “You gonna choose Robbins then?”

Callie's back went stiff, her eyes unfocused as she stared at their names on top of divorce papers. “We're getting a divorce. Who I see is none of your business anymore.”

“I want this to be a clean break, Callie, but who we bring around the kids matters,” he said, scanning the pages over her shoulder.

She pushed him back suddenly, taking the folder to the end of the table and sitting down with it. “We're not even divorced yet. I'm not asking anyone to move in or anything.” She looked up to narrow her eyes at him. “If it got serious, _then_ it _might_ be your business.” She clicked her pen pointedly when he just stared at her. “Then are you going to let me meet Teddy?” Owen's jaw tightened but he said nothing. “That's what I thought. So you don't talk to me about Arizona.”

Owen didn't say anything, just sighed and took the seat across the table from her while Callie read through the document silently. He'd already read it, had already signed and initialed everywhere that needed it. Callie reached the end and signed without a glance in his direction. Letting out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding Owen leaned back in the chair. “Okay then.”

“Okay,” Callie echoed, feeling suddenly like she was choking. Her marriage was over. Not legally, not yet, but it was just a waiting game now. And they'd told the kids that Owen was moving out. She wasn't sure what more was coming, but she felt like she was barely keeping her head above water. She wanted to talk to Arizona.

Owen stood up but she couldn't watch him leave. “I'm going to get a few things from...” It wasn't his room anymore, wasn't his house. “...upstairs. And then I'm going to go.” Callie pushed the papers back across the tabletop to him, heard him packing them back into his bag, listened to the hesitation in his heavy tread before he was gone, on the stairs and then in the bedroom over her head.

And then the front door was closing behind him and she was alone in the house with her sleeping children.

Callie couldn't sit still, pacing into the living room. She wanted to fall on the couch and cry, wanted to throw her head back and scream, wanted to do something – _anything_ – to let her overwhelming crush of emotions out. Most of all she wanted Arizona right in front of her. She couldn't bring herself to call her though. Arizona was more to her than a crutch when she was distraught. And her divorce was _her_ issue. She didn't want to call Arizona just because she was weak tonight. She'd get through this on her own and Arizona would be at work in the morning. She would be able to fill her in then.

Arizona didn't want to be in the middle of this. She'd made that clear. So Callie was going to be a big girl and keep her out of it. No matter how she felt, what she wanted at that moment. Even if Arizona's arms were the only thing that she felt could keep her from exploding.


	9. Chapter 9

Arizona knew the night before had been hard for Callie, part of her had even been expecting a late night call or text from the other woman, but she could see exactly how hard it had been as soon as she saw the weak smile her morning greeting was returned with. “Hey.” She wanted to stop her outside the meeting, wanted to pull her into her arms and take away her pain.

“Hey,” Callie answered hoarsely. She was tired, had lost the struggle not to cry some time after one and hadn't slept much at all. Owen brushed past them and they both fell silent, Arizona stepping closer to let him pass.

“I kind of expected you to call me last night,” Arizona admitted in a soft tone when he was gone, her eyes seeking Callie's.

Callie wasn't looking at her though, tired eyes closed. “I'm sorry. I just -” She trailed off, shaking her head and at a loss.

“Can we talk? After the meeting?” Arizona asked, her voice full of so much tender concern that it made Callie's chest ache.

A ragged breath and Callie opened her eyes. “I'm trying not to drag you into the middle of my stuff, Arizona. Give me a minute?”

Blue eyes blinked wide in surprise, full lips falling open. Mark Sloan, having accepted the contract Ellis had offered him, brushed past them in the doorway, his eyes intrigued, almost knowing, as he squeezed through. Arizona grabbed Callie's arms when she moved to follow him. “Hey, that's not fair!” Arizona objected. “I'm your friend. If you want to talk to me, I'm here. Talk to me. Please?” Callie looked at her and it took every bit of restraint Arizona had not to rise up on her toes and kiss her then. She just looked so sad, and tired, and she wanted to see her smile. Callie was going through something though, something that she had every right to be upset about. She couldn't make everything okay, no matter how much she wanted to.

“Arizona,” Callie sighed, her shoulders slumping. “This is hard for me. Harder than I was expecting. And I'm sorry. But you understand, right?”

Arizona let her hands slide away slowly, taking a half step back. “Sure. Of course.” Grateful, Callie nodded. A noise from Arizona as she turned made her stop. “We're still friends, right?” Callie was upset, she was getting divorced, and she knew they felt for each other. Complicated situation might be an understatement. Callie was ending her marriage though, and she wanted to be there for her friend through that. Arizona needed her friend as much as Callie needed her. Because she was crazy about someone truly amazing and had to be free to tell someone about it.

“Of course we are,” Callie answered her without hesitation. “You're my best friend.” She mustered a smile and one hand trailed from Arizona's elbow to her wrist. “Come on. Let's get to our seats before Ellis gets here.”

They both drew up in surprise when they turned to find Mark Sloan in Arizona's chair, leaning over to whisper in Addison's ear and ignoring the glare from Derek on the far side of the table. “Oh.” They exchanged looks as Ellis Grey breezed in.

“Take your seats, everyone.”

Arizona glared impotently at her tablet as she took the empty chair beside Owen where Bailey had previously sat. She'd gotten used to sitting beside Callie. She couldn't whisper to her from here. Not without being overheard by Callie's to be ex-husband and half the table.

There was no time to catch Callie after the meeting, they both had surgery, and she expected that Callie's need for space would mean that she'd end up sitting alone at lunch. But she definitely wasn't moping and picking at her plate when Callie flopped into the seat across the table from her. “Hey.” Callie's smile was tired, the dark circles under her eyes more pronounced. “Thank God,” she sighed, slumping forward in her chair and leaning her elbows on the table. “This is the first time I've sat down all day.”

Arizona took a bite of her apple and eyed her sympathetically. Callie looked tired. And there was no reason she shouldn't. It was obvious she hadn't slept much. And she had a full docket of surgeries on the schedule today. “Could Yang handle any of your surgeries?”

“Ellis wants us to give them all time to study, remember? Are you working Alex to death?” Callie asked, lifting her head to smirk at Arizona.

The Peds surgeon just scoffed. “Of course I remember. Karev is ready for that test though! He doesn't need the time off.”

“But you gave it to him,” Callie said knowingly. “I know you. You want the best for _your boy_.” Alex got crap sometimes, from the other fifth years, about focusing in Pediatrics, but Arizona Robbins was the best in the country at what she did. And she was a uniquely gifted teacher. Alex's career was in good hands as long he wasn't stupid enough to do something to screw it up.

Arizona shrugged, turning her apple to take another bite. “You know you don't have to worry about Yang either.” They might be the only two department heads in the hospital who didn't have to worry about their proteges.

“There's _one_ thing I don't have to worry about,” Callie commented, tired and sarcastic.

“Can I ask how it went last night? No pressure or anything, if you don't want to talk about it...”

Callie sighed. “It wasn't great. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I didn't expect it to be so hard. I didn't expect to feel so _bad_ about it,” she admitted. One hand combed through her hair wearily. “Allegra was so upset. The boys didn't really get it, of course, but still. We broke up our _family_ last night.”

Blinking, Arizona held back her own heavy sigh. Callie had asked her out, said there weren't lingering feelings between herself and Owen, and she believed her about that. And if the divorce was only about the two of them maybe she could believe that Callie would be ready to go out with her anytime soon. But Callie had children to worry about. And she didn't need more complications in her life. “I'm sorry, Callie.” There wasn't anything else she could say. And there was no way she could have any expectations of anything beyond friendship from Callie.

“I know it'll get better, but she's just so _hurt_ right now, and confused, and I don't have a way to make it better.” Callie didn't just sound tired, but defeated. “I'm supposed to take care of them and now we've just – they're _so_ upset.”

“They need time,” Arizona reminded her. “So do you. Give yourself time,” she advised gently. “No one expects you to be okay right away.” Callie would never hear any different from her. Whatever time it took Callie to be okay Arizona would be the best friend she could be that whole time. “Anything I can do?”

Callie mustered a small but genuine smile, shaking her head. “No, but thank you, Arizona. Really.” Arizona's expression was empathetic and it just broke her control down. “It's for the best. It's not like I could have stayed married to Owen. And they'll understand eventually.” She groaned abruptly. “Okay, here's the deal. If you want to be an awesome friend you need to keep me from talking about this. It's depressing.”

“You're going through something huge here, Callie. You need to talk about it.”

“You don't need to hear about it,” she objected, head shaking. “Arizona -”

“I'm your friend,” interjected Arizona quickly. “You can talk to me about anything.” Callie's dark eyes were pleading with her though, for a reprieve, for a break. “But if you want to talk about something else, that's fine.” There was a moment of weird silence. “So, what do you want to talk about?”

Callie sighed, laughing hoarsely. “I have no idea.” There was another pause. “What do you like to do on a first date?”

Blue eyes went wide. That wasn't the topic she'd expected them to jump to. And she wasn't quite sure what to say in response. “Are you sure that's a good idea?” Callie was hurt, expression wounded. “You're in the middle of a lot of _big_ stuff. Not just you, your kids, Callie.” Arizona shook her head. “They need you. I can't get in the middle of that.” Callie blinked, her face falling. It was enough to almost break Arizona's heart. “It's not that I don't want to go out with you, Callie,” she tried to explain. She would love little more, as a matter of fact. The reassurance did nothing for Callie's downcast expression. “No movies,” she declared softly. Callie looked up from her untouched plate. “Not for the first date. I want to go somewhere I can look at you. I want us to talk, so dinner would be good. But it's a date, so dancing could be fun too.” She tried a smile but resisted the impulse to offer Callie a hand to hold. “Any of that sound good to you?”

Callie's next sigh was of relief. “That all sounds amazing,” she admitted.

“There's no hurry though,” Arizona said kindly. She wasn't going to push Callie to be okay with everything that she was going through. “Ask me out whenever you're ready.”

“What are you doing tonight?” asked Callie immediately, an attempt at bravado.

Arizona's eyes closed. “Your kids, Callie. They need you.” She opened her eyes again and smiled tentatively. “Things will get better, but it takes time.”

“Yeah?” Callie questioned, needing reassurance.

Swallowing, Arizona nodded. “Yeah, it does. It's not easy and it's not quick, getting through it when a family breaks apart, but it will get better.”

“Did your parents split up or something?”

“No. They've been married for forty-five years now.” She met Callie's eyes and swallowed again. “My brother died.” Callie's expression froze. They talked, about everything. She thought. Arizona had mentioned her brother before. Tim, a Marine, older than her by only two years. They were close from everything Arizona said. Or they had been. Because Arizona had never mentioned that he'd passed away. “He was killed in Iraq.”

“You never told me that,” Callie said softly, sympathetic. It was an effective distraction, seeing the pain in Arizona's eyes even as her expression was rigidly controlled. She wanted to make it better.

Arizona shook her head, jaw clenched. “I don't really talk about it.” Callie offered her hand and she took it without hesitation, letting their fingers lace. “It tore us apart for a while. That's why I bring it up,” she explained, blue eyes focused on their joined hands. “But it does get better.”

Callie held her breath for a second, wishing that she could pull Arizona's chair closer, that she could put her arm around her and keep her close. “I'm sorry about your brother,” she offered. “I know you love him and I'm sorry that he's gone.” Arizona's breathing went shaky and Callie couldn't stop herself, tugging the blonde's chair around the curve of the table and sliding an arm around her shoulders. She pressed her lips to soft fair hair and left them there. Arizona's hand landed on her thigh and stroked gentle circles with her thumb.

“Thank you,” Arizona whispered. “I'm sorry your kids are upset.”

“It'll get better.”

“Right,” she agreed, breathing in deeply. She desperately wished she could lean her head over onto Callie's shoulder. A beep from the pocket of her lab coat helped her restraint. “Crap. I've got to go.” She stood up but hesitated. “I'll see you later?”

“I'd like that,” Callie agreed, her tone earnest and warm. Arizona walked away, sending her a smile over her shoulder before she disappeared. The third seat at the table was filled almost immediately by Owen. It was almost as if he'd been waiting on Arizona to leave before he approached her. “Owen, hey,” she greeted him tiredly.

“How did it go last night after I left?” he asked, eying her untouched lunch and slumped posture. It wasn't like her and he could admit to being worried. Of course, unable to sleep, he had done something like four hours of calisthenics last night after he'd gotten back to his mother's house. “I checked in on the kids but Allegra's not talking.”

“She's tired. She woke up a few times,” Callie told him. “But she's not talking to me, either.”

He sighed heavily, leaning forward and wringing his hands between his knees. “We've got to give them time, I think. And I think the sooner we get into a routine with them, the better.” Callie nodded slowly, able to see the wisdom of the suggestion. “So, saying that, do you want to come check out the house with me soon?”

Sighing herself, Callie nodded again. “What have you got tonight?” She shrugged when he looked surprised by her willingness. “What?”

“You don't have plans with Robbins?”

Callie scowled at him. “I told you we're not talking about her. The kids need stability from us right now. They come first.”

“Callie...” She put herself last in their family, she always had. Because of him, her never ceasing efforts to keep the peace. Whatever he needed from her came first. The divorce was the first thing she'd asked for in years that was for her own benefit. And maybe he'd been pushy and touchy about the Robbins thing, but she was right – she owed him no explanations anymore. And he had no right to intervene if she was putting Robbins off for some reason.

“Do you want to go tonight or not?” she asked him shortly. “I'm free at six. Do you want to bring the kids this time, or?”

“Probably not this time,” reasoned Owen. “If I get the thumbs up from you I can take them after I get an offer approved or something. When it's more solid.”

“But tonight?”

“Six works,” he agreed. “Should we grab dinner – or no,” he trailed off when Callie just stared at him. “I'll pick up the kids from daycare?” Owen suggested instead. “My mom can keep them while we're out?”

Callie agreed and excused herself, having lingered too long. She had surgeries and couldn't sit in the cafeteria and mope. At least surgery kept her busy. But she found herself missing Yang and Grey's chatter in the OR. Post-ops with the third and fourth years meant she missed seeing the kids before Owen took them to his mother's house, but Arizona found her in the locker room, sitting down on the bench beside her and facing the opposite direction. Their arms touched as she drew in a breath.

“How were your surgeries? Anything good?” Callie asked after a silent moment, idly curious.

“Nothing yet. But I'm taking a shift in the ER tonight, so who knows,” Arizona answered, shoulders bobbing. She was surprised when Callie's head leaned over onto her shoulder. One hand slipped across the inside of her elbow and squeezed her arm. “Are you okay?”

Callie breathed deep and closed her eyes. Arizona smelled good, some light floral scent that she couldn't quite name. “I'm going to check out Owen's new place tonight. We're hoping getting a routine in place with the kids will help them with everything.”

“You're a good mom, Callie,” Arizona said softly. Her free hand came across to rub her friend's arm lightly. “And Owen getting settled will be good for the kids, you're right.”

“I know. I just wish they could understand. This would all be so much easier if they could just...” She trailed off. “I promise, some day soon I'm going to stop using you as my shoulder to cry on.”

Arizona smiled to herself, making small circles on the skin of Callie's wrist. “No need. I want to be here.” She could turn her head and her nose would be buried in dark hair. That was good, of course, but it wasn't _quite_ the gesture she wanted to make at this moment. Her hand migrated north, trailing with feather lightness up Callie's arm. The other woman sucked in a breath when her touch found her jaw. Pausing deliberately, Arizona waited for a sign of either approval or disapproval from Callie.

Callie picked her head up just enough to meet Arizona's gaze, able to read her intention with a single glance. Arizona was going to kiss her. And she was going to let her.

Arizona was leaning in as soon as Callie's tongue wet her lips. The kiss was light, slow, gentle, almost chaste. Callie had kissed her more than once, but this was the first time Arizona had initiated a kiss. Callie kissed her back without deepening the contact. Arizona was in control of the kiss and Callie was more than willing to follow her lead. Fingers brushed her cheek, thumb sliding across her jawline. Arizona's touch drew her in closer, licking softly at the seam of Callie's lips before she slowly backed off.

Blue eyes blinked open to meet brown and Callie managed her first genuine smile of the day. “I needed that.” Arizona's face moved in again but she didn't kiss her, stopped herself at nuzzling her nose against Callie's. In her locker her phone buzzed. “I've got to go,” she said regretfully. The kiss had succeeded where conversation hadn't though. She felt calmer now, less oppressed by the weight of change in her life. There were good changes coming too. “I'll text you later?”

“Sure,” Arizona agreed easily, leaning back out of Callie's personal space. “Good luck with Owen's house hunting.”

Owen was waiting for her at home, leaning against his truck in the driveway when she pulled in. “Ready to go or do you need a minute to change?”

Shaking her head, Callie let him open the truck's door for her. “Let's do it.”

The ride was quiet, Callie letting her mind wander while Owen listened to talk radio. And the only thing her mind wanted to wander to was the kiss in the locker room. Arizona was amazing – kind, sweet, thoughtful, caring. A really good kisser. And Callie was more than smitten. It had been an innocent crush when they'd been working on the artificial lung case together months before. Arizona had become someone she talked to, got drinks and joked around with. They were friends, best friends. But gradually, without her even realizing it, Arizona had become the one person she relied on to get through the day.

“What do you think?” Owen's question took her out of her thoughts and Callie recognized that they were pulling up outside a very nice two-story only a few minutes away from her own house. “It's really close to yours and it's got four bedrooms so the boys can have their own rooms.”

“If they ever grow out of sleeping in the same bed,” Callie reminded him, lightly teasing. “It looks really nice, Owen.”

The realtor was already at the front door when they got out of the truck. Owen led the way eagerly. “Wait till you see the inside. I think you might even be jealous of the kitchen.”

“It does have a very nice kitchen, Mrs. Hunt,” the real estate agent chimed in, hoping to make a sale. “All new appliances. You'll love it. Your husband has good taste.”

The name drew them both up short, Owen scratching at the back of his head as he shrugged broad shoulders. “Actually, it's Dr. Torres,” he corrected her. “And we're separated.” She looked confused and surprised, not entirely sure how to respond to that.

“We're still friends,” Callie spoke up, shrugging herself. They hadn't really ever been friends, but it worked for an explanation in this situation. “I'm just checking it out for our kids.”

After the initial awkwardness passed the tour went well, Owen pleased with his choice and happy to get Callie's support. He made arrangements with the agent to make an offer before they left, Callie waiting in the truck while he talked it out with the happy realtor.

Owen was smiling as he climbed in and started the truck. “Thanks for coming, Callie. Kate thinks I'll hear something soon.”

“That's great,” Callie said, giving him a smile. It was a nice house. She thought the kids would really like it once they got used to everything.

They fell silent again on the ride back to her house, both of them sitting quietly after Owen turned the truck off. “I guess I'll see you in the morning?” he checked.

“I'll call over there tonight and say goodnight to the kids,” said Callie. “I didn't get to see them before we left work.”

“You could come over for dinner,” suggested Owen, trying to be thoughtful.

Callie shook her head. “I don't think that's a good idea.” Their eyes met and he sighed. “This is how it is now. We need to get them used to it.”

“Okay, you're right,” Owen agreed. He slid out of the truck and jogged around the hood to get the door for her. “Goodnight,” he said once she was on the ground.

“Goodnight, Owen.” He was standing close, one hand on the frame of the open door keeping her between him and the truck. Callie looked up at him after a second, a bit surprised by the close proximity. “I'll see you tomorrow,” she said slowly.

Owen didn't step back, didn't move his arm, but shifted forward instead. He was leaning in almost unconsciously, kissing Callie before either of them knew what was happening. Unlike when Arizona had kissed her, Callie's eyes opened wide, her body going stiff and both hands rising to his shoulders. She didn't touch his neck or play with his hair the way she had with Arizona. Instead her palms pressed lightly against his chest, pushing him back. They both blinked at each other as their mouths separated, Owen already stammering apologetically. “I-I'm sorry! I don't know what – I'm sorry.”

“What was that?” Callie asked, sliding from between him and the truck. The whole interaction had been less than thirty seconds. It had been a quick kiss, not even a second, but she was still shocked. “You haven't kissed me in _months_. But we're getting divorced and _now_ you kiss me?”

“I'm sorry,” he repeated. “It was just a-a habit, or something.” Callie's eyes narrowed at him. “It won't happen again,” he promised quickly. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't let it,” she said firmly. “Goodnight, Owen,” Callie repeated herself, her brows furrowed.

Owen sighed, nodding. “Goodnight.” 

He stayed in the driveway to watch her get inside, Callie slumping against the door. What the hell was _that_ about? She'd been kissed twice today by two different people and had exactly no idea how to react to any of it.


	10. Chapter 10

Quiet nights at home were becoming synonymous with restlessness in Callie Torres' mind. There were no kids around to distract her but she found herself completely unable to take advantage of it and relax. Because she'd been kissed by the woman she was crazy about, and by her not quite ex-husband in the span of hours the day before. At least not having to get the kids up (as well as the entirely nonexistent chance that she'd oversleep) meant that she was actually early for the morning meeting.

In fact, she was pacing the floor in front of the coffee cart on the second floor when the rest of her fellow Attendings started arriving. Arizona spotted her as she came off the elevator, smiling as she crossed the lobby. “Callie, hey! Good morning.”

Callie's brisk pace halted, her eyes wide. “Hey!”

“You're here early,” Arizona observed cheerfully, stepping up to the coffee cart and placing her order. “Do you want a cup? Or have you already had a few today?” Her tone was light, teasing.

“Owen kissed me last night.” Callie hadn't meant to say it but it just burst free. Well, she had meant to say it, she'd just meant to find a better time and place to tell Arizona about the kiss than just blurting it out as soon as she saw her. Arizona's back was to her and Callie cursed not being able to see her face, read her expression. Her shoulders looked stiff though.

Arizona blinked, forcing a smile for the benefit of the confused barista, and took her coffee. “Oh,” she said as she turned around slowly. “Okay...”

“I didn't – it didn't – I'm sorry,” Callie stammered, walking backward as Arizona moved forward.

“You don't have to apologize,” said Arizona, trying and failing to keep her tone light. Callie caught her arm as she attempted to brush past her. “He's your husband.”

“Ex-husband,” Callie stated immediately. “I don't even know why it happened. He said it was habit or something, but that's crazy because he hasn't kissed me in _months_!” She swallowed hard. “And I'm sorry it happened. Because the only person I want kissing me, that _I_ want to kiss, is you,” she said seriously, her eyes locked on Arizona's.

Arizona could see the earnestness, the sincerity, in Callie's eyes. She could understand perfectly well why Owen had kissed Callie. And Callie was standing in front of her, had told her what happened and still stated that she didn't want to kiss Owen, just her. Reaching up, she swiped the thumb of her free hand gently across Callie's bottom lip. “I guess I can't blame him,” she mused softly, speaking quietly so they wouldn't be overheard. The news of the divorce somehow hadn't spread yet. Of course, if anyone saw them it would be obvious that something was going on between them. “You're a pretty great kisser.”

Callie looked pleased, blinking. “Yeah?” Arizona smiled and nodded silently. “But it's been forever since we've kissed, me and Owen, I mean. Even here at work it's just been on the cheek, for show.” She sighed, confused by the gesture from her husband. “Why _now_?”

“Because he's losing you,” Arizona answered, her eyes drinking in Callie's face. “No matter how bad things have gotten, you've been the steadiest part of his life, Callie. And now that's over.”

“So he kisses me?” Callie asked in disbelief. “Because we're breaking up?”

Arizona's smile didn't slip. “One last kiss. I get it.”

“But it wasn't even a good one!” protested Callie without thinking. Arizona's expression twisted at the comment. She didn’t really mind the thought of Owen wanting a last quick kiss with the woman who'd been his rock through some of the most difficult years of his life, but she didn’t want to imagine him giving Callie a _good_ kiss. She'd been on the receiving end of Callie's _good_ kisses and found herself jealous at the thought of sharing. “Sorry,” Callie muttered when she noticed Arizona's shift in expression. “So, that's really what you think it was? Just a kiss for the road?”

Arizona's smile returned, a quick quirk of her lips and a shallow dimple in her cheek. “Yeah,” she said with a nod. “That's what I think.”

“And you're not mad?” Callie checked, her tone hopeful.

Arizona wasn't sure she had the right to be mad but appreciated Callie asking. “Of course not.” Rising on her toes, Arizona dropped a quick peck on her lips. It had been briefer than the kiss Owen had given her but made her heart jump in spite of the brevity. She wished they were somewhere where she could reach out and take Arizona's hips, pull her in and keep kissing her. 

“Better? Do you want a coffee before we go up?” Arizona checked, teasing playfully. She could read the desire in Callie's eyes and saw how she restrained herself. Arizona wished they were somewhere she didn't have to.

Callie rolled her eyes, smirking. “No, thank you,” she said, overly polite. “Let's go.”

Their fellow department heads were making their way in as well and Arizona wasn't surprised to see that Owen had beaten them to the conference room. He seemed to thrive on routine, in spite of the on-the-fly nature of his surgical specialty in Trauma. But in a break from the familiar Owen wasn't sitting in his usual seat at the corner of the table. Instead he was sitting in what had become Arizona's seat beside Richard Webber and across from Addison Montgomery.

It left the seat beside Callie open for the taking. It appeared to be Owen's attempt to make a statement about the night before. He was fully moving himself out of their way and leaving an empty leather rolling chair as a sign.

Exchanging glances, it was clear that they both recognized the gesture. It didn't escape Arizona's notice that it also put her quite literally between them. She took it anyway. Owen only snuck a sideways glance but said nothing, shifting in his seat as Ellis walked in to take control of the meeting. The divorce wasn't common knowledge (known only to Callie, Owen, and Arizona) but the change in seating was drawing notice. Judging by the look on Addison's face Callie wouldn't be able to escape today without an explanation to her friend. Sitting beside her Mark Sloan was eying both Callie and Arizona with a knowing, supremely smug look on his face that made Arizona want to kick him under the table. Webber looked up the table at Callie but said nothing, his attention turning to his wife after a second.

Ellis pinned each of them with a sharp gaze, not skipping Arizona in the middle. “Problem?”

“No, ma'am,” Owen reported, clearing his throat with an almost guilty glance in the direction of Addison and Mark. The feud between Derek, Addison, and Mark had made waves all over the hospital and Ellis remained unhappy with all three of them. If she thought they were going to cause the same trouble there would be no corner of the hospital that didn't feel her frustration. “No problem.”

“See that there's not, Dr. Hunt,” she told him coolly. “Torres.” She didn't name Arizona out loud but her shrewd eyes lingered long enough for the Peds surgeon to know that she wasn't exempt from the warning. “Now, what's going on today?” she asked the rest of the room, Richard the only one brave enough to speak up right away.

Callie wasn't surprised to get cornered by a massively pregnant Addison after the meeting, expecting the inquisition from her friend after their unintentional territorial shift in front of their coworkers. And she didn't hesitate to plunge right in. “Are you having an affair with Arizona Robbins?!”

Pulling her by the arm into an empty patient room Callie pushed the door closed and waited for her friend to waddle to the bare bed and sit down on the very edge. She didn't have the energy to stand up for very long anymore. “Of course I'm not,” she answered calmly. She had feelings for someone who wasn't her husband but it wasn't an affair. At least, it had never felt that way to her. What she felt for Arizona couldn't be hidden, for one thing. Moreover, it felt _real_ , not some illicit fling that burned hot and flamed out fast. If anything, that had been her relationship with Owen. If she hadn't gotten pregnant the sex could have only sustained them for a limited time.

Arizona made her feel... alive. Where she'd only been existing before, Arizona made her feel like she could thrive.

“Then what's going on? You spend all your time with her, and you and Owen -”

“Owen and I are getting a divorce,” Callie interjected softly, still calm. “We've already filed, we're just waiting until it's official.” 

Addison's eyes were wide. Her own divorce felt like it had come out of nowhere, even while she and Derek had existed in a marriage full of lies and vitriol. Callie and Owen had felt much more solid, even with his anger issues. “What happened? Did something – did he do something?”

“No.” She said it firmly, shaking her head in denial. “Nothing like that. He's actually doing a lot better. He's going to therapy now.”

“But then why?”

Callie smiled, shrugging her shoulders. “He doesn't love me. And I don't love him,” she said simply. “We just stopped lying to each other about it.”

Addison was unable to deny the other woman's peaceful calm. She was clearly coping well with their decision to end their marriage. Better than she was doing with her own divorce. “What about the kids?”

Callie sighed then, the corners of her mouth turning down. “We talked to them. The boys don't really get much beyond that Owen's not at home. Allegra's kind of stopped talking to both of us. We're trying to get them in a routine though. And Owen's put an offer on a house a few minutes away from me, so hopefully he hears something soon.”

“So this is really happening,” Addison said, brow furrowing in soft concern. “How does Arizona fit in? And why didn't you tell me about any of this?”

“You've been a bit busy yourself,” Callie reminded her, shooting her eyes at the redhead's rounded belly. She looked minutes away from giving birth. “You never told me about Mark Sloan either. And now you're getting divorced too.” She smiled and moved to sit on the edge of the bed beside her friend. “We're quite the pair, here.”

Addison laughed, breath hitching as the baby kicked. “I guess we are. Who'd have ever thought? I mean, I stood up with you at your wedding, Callie. And now it's just over?”

“It's been over for a long time. We're just getting around to ending it,” Callie said, shrugging and reaching over to brush her hand over the top of Addison's belly.

“Because of Robbins?” pressed Addison wisely. “Mark said something the other day about gaydar but I thought he was just being an ass. But there's something there, isn't there?”

“Does it freak you out?” Callie asked instead of answering directly.

Addison scoffed immediately, dismissing that worry with a single sound. “Hell no! Robbins is hot!” She grinned and bumped Callie with an elbow. “Have you kissed her yet?” she asked eagerly. Rolling her eyes, Callie could feel the blush burning up her neck. “Yes! You kissed a Peds surgeon! How was it?! Tell me everything!”

“She's amazing,” said Callie, smiling at her friend. “She's perky and has butterflies on her scrub cap.” Addison laughed, able to see Callie's face light up as she talked about the other woman. “And she's also hot,” she agreed. “Really hot...” She trailed off, thinking of the first time she'd kissed Arizona on her porch.

“I take it you're over the butterflies?” Addison checked, already knowing the answer. “You look happy,” she said sincerely. “I'm glad she makes you happy.”

Callie's smile was radiant. “She makes me very happy.”

“So have you two gone out, or what? What's going on?” Another thought occurred to her. “Wait, Owen knows all this?”

Callie nodded, gnawing on the inside of her bottom lip for a second. “He knows. I told him we kissed right before I asked for a divorce.” Addison's eyes went wide in disbelief. “I just said I'd kissed someone. He figured out the who on his own.”

“You two aren't really subtle,” Addison commented, smirking at Callie. “There's chemistry there. She can't take her eyes off of you.”

“You've known this was going on for an hour,” Callie reminded her, shaking her head.

“Long enough to see things!” declared Addison smugly. “So, tell me! Dates, what? Have you slept with her yet?!”

“No!” Callie practically yelped. Her blush was burning her cheeks now. “We've kissed, that's it! And just a few times.”

Addison swatted her arm and made Callie jump. “What are you waiting for? Go for it!”

“She doesn't want to be a rebound. Or caught up in the middle of my divorce,” Callie said, shaking her head again. “And I don't blame her. So we're taking it slow.” Addison looked disappointed. “I asked her out though!”

“So when are you going out?” Addison asked, arching a brow at her.

Callie shrugged, her shoulders slumping. “I don't know. The kids aren't handling the divorce all that well, and -”

“Well, that's rough,” Addison interjected, “but it's not just _your_ responsibility. Owen's their father. You're allowed to take a girl out every once in a while and he can deal with the kids. That's the point of all of this, isn't it? We move forward.”

“They're kids, Addie. They're _my_ kids,” Callie reminded her. “You'll understand soon enough. They come first.”

Addison didn't look convinced. “I'm just saying, the next night Owen keeps the kids you're dumb if you're not taking the perky Peds doctor out to dinner and trying to at _least_ get under her top.” Callie's eyes widened in shock at the blunt suggestion and Addison smirked. “And you're no idiot, my friend.”

Left with that to think about Callie went to work, her schedule of surgeries still packed while the fifth years prepared for their test. She kind of liked it that way. Surgery kept her busy, away from the dullness of paperwork, and she saved lives. Yang could be kind of bloodthirsty, always eager to take the lead in the OR, and that had left her sitting down and reading a magazine during a lot of their procedures lately. She'd almost forgotten how amazing a day filled with nothing but surgery could be. And how tiring it was. But Owen was keeping the kids tonight at his mom's and she could try and chill out, rest, and think about getting to second base with Arizona Robbins. Because Addison had put that in her head and now she couldn't get it out.

Callie returned her last chart of the night to the nurse's desk and leaned against the counter to take a breath. It had been a long day. She thought she might be able to take advantage of a night alone for the first time since the separation had started. If she could ever lever herself up and off the counter. God, she was tired.

Arizona turned the corner in the midst of conversation with Addison Montgomery, both of them smiling as they noticed Callie at the desk. “Callie, hey,” Arizona greeted her warmly. Looking up, Callie immediately noticed Addison's smirking smile. “Long day?” asked Arizona sympathetically.

“When are the boards again?” Callie asked as an answer, shooting a narrow look at Addison. The redhead just continued to grin smugly. “What are you two doing so far from Peds?” Addison wasn't even on the surgical board anymore, too late in her pregnancy to do almost anything but rest. She couldn't sit still for that long in Mark's apartment and still came in to the hospital every day.

“Looking for you, actually,” Addison answered. “I got a call from Boise, parents of a set of conjoined twins I delivered last year are thinking about getting the boys separated. I told them I knew the best surgical team in the country if they were serious.” She sent a wink at Callie, her smirk wicked. “Discuss,” she said, walking away slowly in her awkward pregnant gait.

“Is there really a case, or is she full of it?” asked Callie with a laugh, watching her friend flee the scene.

“There is,” Arizona confirmed. “I think we'll need to bring them here if they decide to go through with the surgery though. Ellis would kill us if we lost the hospital such a big press opportunity.” Her shoulders shuddered. “And I hate flying.”

“Well, I'm happy to be on the team,” said Callie, smiling as Arizona turned to lean up against the desk beside her. “You heading home soon?”

Arizona nodded, straight hair sliding in front of her face. She pushed it back before Callie could lose the struggle not to do it herself. “What about you?”

“Owen has the kids so I'm going home and passing out. I'm exhausted.” Callie looked it too, her shoulders rounded and eyes tired. “But maybe -”

“Dr. Torres, sorry to interrupt.” An ER nurse from behind them stopped what Callie had been about to say. “But your husband got called into a surgery and he told me to bring them to you.”

Callie's head turned to spot Allegra pushing the boys' stroller with a scowl on her face from behind the nurse. “Hey, you guys.” She pushed herself up straight with a sigh. “Dr. Hunt's in surgery?”

“Yes, ma'am,” she reported with a nod. “He was on his way out with the kids, but a case came in that needed him and he asked if I would bring them to you. He said he'd probably be busy all night.”

“Great,” Callie muttered under her breath. “Thank you,” she said, letting the nurse go with a forced smile. “Well, it looks like you're with me tonight,” she commented to the kids, relieved to get at least steady blinks from the boys. Allegra wasn't happy no matter who she was with and just continued to look grumpily at the floor. “Hey, do you remember Dr. Robbins?” Callie asked, reaching out to pinch her daughter's sleeve.

It succeeded in getting Allegra's head up, looking around her mother to spot the other woman. “Hey, Dr. Robin!” Arizona smiled but didn't correct her. “Do you like birds? Is that why your name is Robin?”

Laughing, Arizona crouched to the little girl's level. “I do like birds, but that's not why my name is Robbins. Do you like birds?” Allegra nodded. “What's your favorite kind of bird?” Arizona asked kindly.

“Red ones,” she promptly answered. “And blue ones.”

Arizona grinned, feeling Callie's eyes on them from above. “Those are pretty ones,” she agreed. “I like parrots.”

Allegra nodded again rapidly. “Oh, yeah, I love those!” she was quick to respond.

Beside her Gavin fussed to get out of his stroller. If she got Angus out he'd be content to let her hold him but Callie knew that Gavin would want to run around. As much as she'd love to keep talking with Arizona they had to go. “Okay, sweetheart, say goodbye to Dr. Robbins. We need to go get you guys some dinner.”

Allegra's pout was instantaneous. “I don't want to go!” She grabbed the sleeve of Arizona's lab coat with a tight fist.

Callie sighed, already tired and growing exhausted at the thought of dealing with a tantrum right now. “Allegra, we're not having a discussion. Your brothers are hungry and it's time to go home and eat dinner,” she stated, tried to hang onto the last shreds of her patience.

“I want Dr. Robin to come!” Allegra yelped, stubbornly standing her ground. “Can you come to my house for supper, Dr. Robin?” she asked, tone softening when she spoke to the crouching doctor.

Arizona hesitated, glancing up at Callie for a hint. “Um... I'm sure your mom -”

“Dr. Bird,” Gavin chimed in from his seat with a playful grin, the gist of the conversation that he'd managed to grasp. In the seat in front of him Gus gave his best attempt at a whistle, pursing his lips and spitting. Owen had shown them some bird calls his father had taught him but they were unable to duplicate them themselves yet.

“Callie?” Arizona checked, standing up only to have Allegra hug her leg tightly. Her tone went soft, speaking just to her. “You're exhausted.”

“Come,” said Callie. “If you want.” She wasn't getting the night to herself, and Allegra was more eager for Arizona's presence anyway. And she couldn't say she didn't want Arizona around. “You don’t have to, of course, but I do make a very good chicken piccatta.” She smiled and it was genuine, if tired. “I haven't gotten used to cooking for one yet,” she confessed quietly. “So if you don't come over I'll just be eating leftovers for the next three days.”

Glancing down at Allegra, who was leaned back and peering straight up at her pleadingly, Arizona looked back at Callie with a smile. “I've got to check the post ops since Alex isn't here but I could be there by seven?” she said. “If that's okay.”

Allegra was already nodding excitedly, giving her mother her first smile in days. “Thank you,” Callie answered earnestly. One hand found Arizona’s, squeezing her wrist lightly. “We'll see you soon. Allegra, tell Dr. Robbins we'll see her later.”

“Bye, Dr. Robin! See you at my house soon!” Allegra happily recited. She didn't care at all that she had yet to get Arizona's name right.

Arizona crouched again, offering one hand for a high five. “If we're going to be buddies how about you call me Arizona?” she suggested as Allegra slapped her hand. “Alright!” Arizona enthused at the agreement. “Bye.”

Callie turned the stroller around, relieved when Allegra followed along without complaint or argument. She sent Arizona a smile over her shoulder as they walked away.

Arizona was a prompt dinner guest, ringing the bell right at seven with a bottle of wine. Allegra answered it even as Callie warned her from the kitchen not to open the door until she got there. “Hey, Arizona!”

“Allegra!” Callie chided her, appearing in the hall.

“She told me to call her name, Mama!” Allegra defended herself.

Callie rolled her eyes as she saw Arizona at the door. “I know that. But you know better than to answer a door unless me or Daddy are with you. Got it?” Allegra didn't answer her, embarrassed at being called out in front of her new friend. Callie put a hand on her head and Allegra shook it off. “You answer me. You got it?”

“Yeah.” The answer was right on the edge of petulance, Allegra pulling on Arizona's hand to bring her inside.

Arizona smiled as she was tugged forward, handing Callie the bottle of wine. “I noticed you like red. And my mom would not be happy if I showed up as a guest with empty hands.”

“You didn't have to,” Callie said, smiling at the bottle as she pushed the front door closed. “But thank you. I do like red.”

Allegra pulled Arizona into the living room where her brothers were playfully tussling over a pillow. “Hey, guys,” Arizona greeted the boys, twin tow heads turning to look at her. “I'm Arizona. What are your names?” She knew them, of course, but wasn't sure either of the boys would remember her.

Gavin, always more forthcoming than his brother, stepped forward and studied her quietly for a moment. “M'm Gavin,” he answered her. One arm pointed at his twin. “Th's Gus,” he introduced them. Angus was standing a step behind him and didn't speak.

Arizona gave them each charming smiles. “It's very nice to meet you both,” she said politely.

From the door to the kitchen Callie watched. Angus turned his head to look for her, always reassured by his mother's presence. Callie gave him an encouraging smile and he stepped forward to stand beside his sibling. “Hey,” he mumbled shyly. Mustering his courage he stuck a hand out to shake. His daddy had taught him how to greet a lady.

Kneeling, Arizona shook his hand. “Hey Gus.” He smiled and Callie could practically _see_ him falling in love when Arizona smiled back at him. She was surprised he didn't melt into the floor. She was surprised _she_ wasn't melting into the floor, honestly. “Wow, you're strong!” Arizona told him, winning another grin and a blush. “What a good handshake!”

The four on the floor looked up when Callie cleared her throat. It was tough to break up such a cute scene. “Dinner's on the table.” The kids knew what that meant and started in, all three of them trying to get one of Arizona's hands to escort her to the kitchen. Angus drew the short end of the stick from his more aggressive siblings and scuttled to Callie, who picked him up and deposited him in his seat at the table.

Excited by their guest the kids were chattering and noisy all through the meal. Arizona didn't miss a beat though, keeping up with their conversation and engaging all of them. It wasn't a night alone on the couch with a glass of wine and a book but it didn't suck either, Callie leaning back in her chair and just watching everything. Arizona was born to work with kids. She'd known it already, seeing her at the hospital with her patients, but watching her with her kids now, it just made it even more clear. And Arizona more amazing.

Callie gave the kids a few extra minutes of playing before she called for bath time, rolling her eyes knowingly at Arizona when the order was met with a chorus of groans and protests. “Hey, yeah, I've got to go home now anyway,” Arizona chimed in helpfully. There was another round of disappointed moans. “But I had fun hanging out tonight. Maybe if it's cool with your mom we can do it again.”

All three of the kids turned on Callie then and it was the happiest she'd seen any of them look since she and Owen had talked to them about the divorce. Arizona made them all very happy, apparently. “We'll talk about it,” she compromised. “But it's time for baths and bed. Upstairs.” Her tone held a quiet note of warning and it ended the discussion. “Everybody say goodnight and I'll be right behind you.”

Gavin was happy with the high five Arizona gave him, galloping up the stairs with a wave and a happy “See you!” Allegra got a hug and shot a disappointed look at her mother before she followed her brother upstairs. Gus got a light kiss on the cheek and went beet red, rushing away without saying anything.

Callie laughed as he disappeared. “I think he's in love,” she commented, smiling at Arizona on the floor. “I'm going to be jealous if I can't get one of those though.” Arizona stood up and shifted herself to the couch beside Callie, promptly kissing her lightly on the lips. “Mmh, and thank you for coming. I really wasn't up for another night of Allegra not talking to me.” They both heard the water come on upstairs. “Sorry, I should... I'll walk you out.” Arizona's hand stayed in Callie's after she helped her up, following her to the front door. “Thank you again for the wine.”

“Next time I'll bring flowers too,” Arizona promised with a smile, standing in the doorway. “And maybe we can drink some of the wine.”

“You like white though,” Callie reminded her, her hands finding Arizona’s hips. “But that sounds nice.” She paused, taking a breath and a pause to get her nerve. “I'm going to ask you out soon,” she promised. “Really soon.”

Blonde brows arched in surprise. “Oh?”

Nodding, Callie stepped closer. Arizona's back collided lightly with the door frame but she only leaned her head up without saying anything more. “Yes,” she confirmed. No time like the present, she decided. “Arizona, will you go out with me? On a date. Dinner. You and me. Thursday. Seven. I'll pick you up.”

“What about the kids?” Arizona asked, Callie's fingers on her hipbones driving her almost to distraction.

“Owen's got them on Thursdays.”

Arizona shook her head even as Callie started to lean in. “That wasn't what I meant.”

“After tonight the kids are crazy about you,” Callie said with a laugh. She didn't try and lean in again. Arizona blinked, swallowing hard. “That wasn't what you meant either,” she sighed. “Okay, Arizona, it'll be a change for them, but all of this is. It won't be easy, but they're good kids.”

“They are,” Arizona murmured in agreement.

“And they're still getting used to the divorce, I know that,” Callie continued. “It's a first date. That's all. I'm not asking for any more from you.” She took a deep breath. Of course she wanted more than _just_ a first date from Arizona, but if it was going to happen that way she had to trust that it would, over time. “If it becomes more, they can get used to that too. They're very adaptable.”

“Gavin told me he can curl up small enough to fit in his dad's backpack,” Arizona chimed in lightly, trying for a joke. “That's what I call adaptable.”

Callie smiled but her eyes were still serious, earnest. Her gaze was begging Arizona to say yes. “Go out with me. You never know. We go out and you might not even like me that much.”

“I already know I do,” Arizona whispered. One hand slipped over Callie's cheek, fingers teasing the hair at the back of Callie's neck. “You really want to do this?” she checked. Callie didn't say a word, the answer already in her eyes. Arizona’s answer came in her standing up on her toes and kissing Callie, drawing her in with the hand on her neck. Callie's mouth pulled on her bottom lip but before she could deepen the kiss the sound of splashing through the open door pulled her away.

“It sounds like I've got to go,” Callie lamented against her lips, snatching another quick kiss before she took a step back. Arizona agreed even as she moved forward to keep kissing her, Callie moaning into her mouth. Sucking on Arizona's tongue, Callie let herself be pushed back into the other side of the door. They lost their balance and Arizona fell forward into her, both of them laughing. “Okay, I'm going to go before someone gets injured,” Callie said amidst laughter.

Arizona nodded, licking her lips and stumbling a few steps backward onto the porch. “Alright,” she agreed lightly. “I had fun tonight.” Callie smiled, not sure it was entirely true since she'd spent the whole night playing on the floor with her kids, but she appreciated her saying it. “I'll see you in the morning.” She trotted down the stairs with a noticeable spring in her step. “And Thursday night,” she reminded Callie from the ground, a soft smile on her lips.


	11. Chapter 11

Callie Torres couldn't remember the last time she'd been nervous like this. Of course, it had been almost five years since she'd been on a date. Her hands fidgeted with the hem of her dress in Arizona's hallway. She'd come off the elevator a minute earlier but hadn't knocked on the door yet. Combing through her hair with her fingers one last time and giving the neckline of her dress a final adjustment, she rapped her knuckles on the blue door. Arizona answered it a few seconds later and Callie completely forgot how to speak, how to breathe.

Arizona was beautiful, she knew that already. But tonight Arizona was – stunning, gorgeous, _literally_ breathtaking. She was wearing blue, making her eyes pop. Her hair, normally straight and smooth at work, was in soft curls tonight, framing her face and grazing her shoulder blades where her hair normally hit the middle of her back.

She was smiling, laughing quietly at Callie's reaction, and doing absolutely nothing to diminish her own beauty. “I'm going to take the look on your face as a 'good evening, nice to see you,'” Arizona said lightly, teasing her. Callie's red dress was clinging to her curves in a way that made Arizona's mouth water, her hair falling across her bare shoulders in waves. And she was not unaffected. She was, entirely. But she wasn't completely out of her element here like only recently single Callie was.

Blinking and trying to shake herself out of her stupor, Callie took a breath. “Good evening. _Very_ nice to see you,” she said, licking her lips.

Arizona laughed, letting her own eyes wander up and down Callie's form. Those legs were going to be in her dreams tonight. “You look amazing,” she confessed honestly. “Do you want to come in, or should we-?”

“I actually got us reservations,” Callie said, taking another breath. “You told me to do it right, remember?” she asked, teasing. If she went into Arizona's apartment right now she wasn't sure she would want to leave. “Four star restaurant, table for two, at eight. You ready to go? Because you look ready to go.”

Nodding, Arizona stepped forward with a smirk. “Let me just get my purse,” she murmured. She took another half step forward instead of returning to the apartment. Her heels put her at Callie's height and she touched her date's shoulder, leaning in to kiss her softly. It was brief, Arizona stepping back again before Callie could deepen the contact.

Arizona was gone and back before she could protest, clutch in her elbow and pulling the door shut behind her. She tucked her keys back in her bag and took Callie's hand. “I hope French food is okay with you. It's supposed to be amazing.”

“Sounds perfect,” Arizona agreed happily, swinging their joined hands lightly.

Their table was nice, tucked away in a corner, and lit by candles. The wine was sweet, the food was delicious, the atmosphere quiet and close. It was the company that made the night the best night Callie could remember. Arizona was sweet, charming, funny, just _wonderful_.

“So, ladies, did anybody save room for dessert?” The interruption from the waitress wasn't unwelcome but it surprised them both, caught up in each other.

Callie gave Arizona a speculative glance, a brow arching in question. “Split a slice of cheesecake?” Arizona suggested without missing a beat.

“I'll have that right out to you,” their waitress said with a smile.

“Actually, could we get it to go?” Arizona asked before she could leave. “And the check?”

The server smiled again, almost smirking if Callie wasn't mistaken, and nodded. “Of course.”

Surprised but willing to play along, Callie said, “You know I'm paying, right?”

“That's fine,” Arizona murmured, taking the final sip of her wine. Callie could handle the check this time and when she asked Callie out for their next date she'd treat her.

“You ready to go home?” Callie checked, not wanting to drag this out if Arizona wasn't feeling it. She could just go back to her empty house and console herself with the bottle of wine Arizona had brought the other day.

Blonde curls fell across her eyes as Arizona shook her head in denial. “I was thinking we could take a little walk. It's a nice night.” She'd toed off her shoes some time after her second glass of wine and Arizona stretched out and dragged her toes up the inside of Callie's calf to her knee. “If it's possible in those heels you're wearing.”

Callie's throat bobbed as she swallowed even as their waitress put the box with their cake and the check on the corner of the table and disappeared. “I can handle that,” she said, biting back the broad smile that wanted to burst out. “I'll pay and we can go.” She slipped her card into the folder without looking at the total. Tonight had been amazing, worth every penny. The same soundless server slid past and returned with the card and receipt on the table within a minute. Callie made sure to write down a big tip for the exceedingly helpful young woman.

Slipping her shoes back on, Arizona stood up and took Callie's arm with a smile. It was misting rain outside when they left the restaurant, Arizona peeking up at the sky from under the valet stand's awning. “Well, shoot,” she lamented. Callie laughed at her subconsciously editing herself. “I guess we could...”

“There's an umbrella in my car if you don't think you'll get too cold,” Callie offered, not wanting a little weather to literally rain on Arizona’s parade. And she had three young kids – she didn’t even notice a little rain anymore. Seeing Arizona’s relieved smile made her glad she'd mentioned it.

“Yay,” Arizona enthused softly, hugging Callie's arm and leaning in to kiss her softly on the cheek once before Callie turned her face in to meet her lips. The kiss on the street corner stayed light, soft, even as Callie turned toward her and stepped in closer. 

Soft and slow could be very, very nice, Callie mused to herself as Arizona licked her bottom lip. She didn't deepen the kiss further, just kept kissing her. It had never been like this with Owen. There hadn't been softness between her and Owen, not even at the beginning. They'd been fast, and physical, and passionate from night one. Nothing like this. Of course, Arizona was the only person she'd kissed since she'd married Owen. It wasn't simply the difference between kissing a man and kissing a woman though. She remembered kissing Erica and it wasn't like this. This was Arizona – kissing Arizona.

It wasn't all softness here, there was passion brimming and boiling right under the surface and Callie could feel it. Right now though, soft and slow was perfection.

Arizona gave her a smile that made her knees weak and her stomach flip as the kiss ended, the valet behind them dutifully not watching but ready with Callie's keys. “Thank you,” she murmured, taking the keys without looking away from Arizona.

“You're _very_ welcome,” Arizona answered, smirking as she slipped a tip to the valet. Callie wasn't talking to her but it was an opportunity for teasing that she couldn't waste. “Shall we?” she asked with a cheerful grin.

Callie nodded, her keys spinning on her finger. “Let's just move it and we'll park up the block and walk down toward the water?”

“Perfect,” hummed Arizona, biting her lip when Callie intercepted the valet and opened the door for her. Callie smiled, unable to help herself from looking when Arizona climbed into the seat. The hem of her dress slipped up her thighs and Callie felt her body flush. There definitely wasn't a lack of passion. Arizona could burn her up if she let her. It was only their first real date and she knew that already. Of course, she'd known that before she'd kissed her the first time.

She was playing with fire and she loved it.

Arizona caught the glance at her legs but said nothing. It wouldn't be fair to chide Callie when she had been sneaking peeks at her date's chest all night. And she had _no_ regrets about it.

They found a spot up the block and Callie reached in the center console for her collapsible umbrella. Arizona dutifully stayed in her seat and let Callie get her door again. It was really sweet, how considerate Callie was being. Between her and Owen, their kids were going to be unbelievably polite. Arizona hooked her arm through Callie's again and squeezed in close. There were definite advantages to sharing an umbrella. It wasn't even raining all that hard but it was nice, being close like this.

“So Owen's got the kids tonight?” Arizona asked, able to see her breath in the night air. She wasn't cold though, not this close to Callie.

“They went to the aquarium today since he was off early,” Callie answered. “And I made him promise that he wouldn't call unless one of the kids needed surgery.”

Arizona laughed. “And here I've been drinking again.”

“As long as he keeps Gavin out of any of the tanks I think we'll be fine.” She breathed deep. “I really don't think he's subconsciously trying to crash our dates or anything.”

“That's not something I'm worried about,” Arizona said with a smile. Owen had had his chance with Callie, had backed off. If he decided now that he'd made a mistake she wasn't going to do the same. Not now that she knew exactly how great Callie was. She'd known Callie for years, since she'd gotten the job at Seattle Grace herself, but she'd been married to Owen that whole time. Always a talented surgeon, she just hadn't been happy. She'd put on a good front, of course, but the difference between then and now was obvious. Callie had come to life after the separation. If Owen wanted Callie back he was going to be in for a fight. “I was just asking about the kids.”

“They've been asking when their new best buddy is going to come over again to play,” Callie told her, sneaking a sidelong look. If Arizona curled her hair for work she wasn't sure she'd be able to control herself. She looked unbelievable. “I don't know though,” she mused quietly. Arizona was smiling out at the water, the breeze moving her hair. “I kind of like keeping you for myself.”

Arizona met her gaze and felt her heart jump. She stopped walking and it pulled them both to a halt. “Should we eat this?” she asked, lifting the string tied box on one hooked finger. There was a bench but they didn't sit, the rain making the wood dark and soft. Instead they put the cake on the top of the railing and Callie kept the umbrella over them. “I think they only gave us one fork. Oops.”

Sneaky, _brilliant_ waitress. Callie was tempted to go back to the restaurant and give her another tip. “I don't mind sharing,” she said softly. “You go first.” Arizona poked up a bite but didn't bring it to her own lips but Callie's. 

Callie smiled around the fork, licking her lips when the cream stuck to the corner of her mouth. “I'm sorry. That was cheesy, wasn't it?” Arizona asked, laughing.

“Well, it's _cheese_ cake.”

Arizona laughed louder, covering her mouth with her free hand. “Okay, now _that_ was cheesy!” She took a bite of cake for herself and moaned as the cool cream melted on her tongue. “God, that's good!”

Callie took the fork and got herself another bite. “I kind of want to give our waitress another tip,” she agreed before taking her next bite. “We'll have to go back there. That salmon was _really_ good.” Arizona had ordered the salmon but she'd been completely unable to resist when she'd offered a bite to sample.

And the offhand mention of another date, silent confirmation of a possible future in this relationship, made Arizona bite her lip to keep from smiling too big. She wasn't the only one who wanted more of this. “That would be nice.” Callie passed her the fork back, the rain starting to beat harder against their umbrella. “You want to go back?” asked Arizona, having to raise her voice a little to be heard over the humming precipitation.

“We still have cake left,” answered Callie, shrugging her shoulders. “Are you good?” Without thinking anything of it she wrapped her right arm around Arizona's bare shoulders in an effort to keep her warmer.

Arizona breathed in deeply at the contact, leaning into Callie's side before she could second guess herself and withdraw. “Very good,” she confirmed, splitting the crust in half and scooping up a bite. “This one's all you.” Callie leaned her head down to take the bite, Arizona's thumb intercepting a few crumbs off her bottom lip and sucking them into her own mouth. “Yum.” Arizona took the last bite and licked her own lips while Callie's hand rubbed slow, gentle circles against the top of her arm.

Stepping behind her, Callie dropped her head to mouth Arizona’s bare shoulder. The contact was light, soft, and slow and it sent a rush of sensation down Arizona's spine, a simmering warmth settling low in her stomach. “I think I should take you home,” Callie whispered, scarcely audible over the increasingly pounding rain.

Arizona agreed wholeheartedly but wasn't sure about their ability to keep things going slow if they were alone in her apartment. “You know what I noticed?” she asked instead of answering. “We keep saying we're going to do certain things – like not kiss because you're still married and I already like you too much, not date because you've got enough in your life to deal with and I don't want to get in the middle of anything – but here we are, you kissing my neck on our first date. First of many, I hope,” she continued before Callie could get the wrong idea about what she was saying. “And kissing my neck is a major turn on, by the way.” Callie laughed and kissed under her ear. Turning in her grip, Arizona looked up at her with a small dimpled smile. “Don't get me wrong, I don't regret any of it. But we're not playing by our own rules, Callie.”

“When I said I should take you home I didn't mean take you to bed,” said Callie softly, interjecting before Arizona could say more. “But you don't get me wrong, that's not to say I don't want to,” she clarified, Arizona's smile growing. “But we should take this slow, you're right.”

Arizona nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear when it fell forward. “Okay, so we're on the same page?”

“We are,” Callie agreed, leaning in slowly. The rain was running off her umbrella in a steady, heavy stream of water. It was officially pouring outside now, a quiet rumble in the distance sounding even as Arizona stepped up to meet her lips. Fingers slipped across Callie's jaw and she breathed in through her nose, pressing forward unconsciously seeking more contact with Arizona's mouth, with her body. It unintentionally tipped the umbrella so that a wash of cold water poured down her back and sent Callie jerking back in reaction with a strangled yelp.

The umbrella being yanked away meant Arizona was getting rapidly drenched but she didn't jump, just stood in the rain and laughed as she let herself get soaked. Shaking off the umbrella and realizing that she'd left Arizona in the cold Callie thrust her arm out to cover her again with the umbrella. “It's okay,” Arizona said, still chuckling. It was a sweet gesture but the rain had already wreaked its havoc on her. Callie wasn't quite as drenched and hustled back under the cover with her date. “Let's just make a run for the car,” suggested Arizona, both of them dripping.

Callie was grateful for her car's leather seats, they were easy to clean when the kids spilled something, but they stuck to her dress as she threw herself into her seat. Arizona was arching off the leather to avoid saturating the material. “Don't worry about that,” Callie told her breathlessly. “It'll dry.” She smiled sheepishly, her hair wet and sticking to her face. “Sorry about pulling the umbrella away like that.”

“Don't worry about it,” Arizona echoed, smiling across the car to her. Her dress was clinging to her chest, her stomach, her thighs. And Callie's eyes were lingering. “I've got towels at my place. We can dry off there.”

The ride was silent, only the monotony of the steady wipers on the windshield breaking the quiet. Neither moved right away when Callie shut the car off, looking out the windshield while Arizona watched her. The rain had made Callie's hair curlier. She wanted to put her fingers through it. “I can walk you to the lobby -” Callie started to speak.

“Come up,” Arizona requested instead. “You need to dry off. Can't have you getting sick. Between the hospital and the kids you wouldn't get any peace or quiet.” Callie bit her lip, unsure of the wisdom of being alone in Arizona’s apartment after what they'd talked about on the pier. “No funny business, I promise,” Arizona said, a grin peeking out. “I mean, I'm going to kiss you, but I'll keep my hands off. Probably. Mostly,” she corrected herself, Callie smirking at her. “I'll do what I can,” she promised, bare shoulders shrugging. “You're very hot when you're all soaking wet.” She let her eyes wander appreciatively, swallowing hard. “I think I've got some clothes you can wear home if you want.”

Callie laughed, shooting her a look. “I thought you _just_ said no funny business and here you're trying to get me out of my dress.” Arizona didn't deny it and she nodded her head toward the building. “Let's get inside. Do you want the umbrella?”

“We're already soaked,” reasoned Arizona. “Let's just run.”

It was only a few yards from the car to the front door, Arizona keying them in. Exchanging grins they shook some of the dripping rainwater out of their hair while they waited on the elevator. Neither wanted to take the stairs up five flights in sopping wet heels. The elevator arrived to let off two residents from the third floor and they stepped in. They didn't speak, just exchanged small smiles as the car rose. Arizona was starting to feel the chill of central air on wet clothes and they hurried down the hall to her door. She let them in and guided Callie through the living room by the hand with only a pause to throw their purses on the couch, leading her straight into her bedroom. “Come here,” she said, pulling her into her bathroom and handing her a towel before snatching one for herself. “That's better,” Arizona commented, rubbing down both arms and thinking nothing of throwing one leg up on the edge of the sink to dry it off.

“Yeah,” Callie agreed hoarsely. “Thanks.” She was still dripping, just holding the towel limply in one hand, and Arizona pursed her lips at her distraction.

Clearing her throat Arizona put her foot back on the floor. “I'll get you something to wear,” she said. “I'll just go change and leave you something on the bed.”

Callie smiled, nodding and praying she wasn't blushing. “Thank you.” Arizona started to leave the bathroom with a last lingering look that made Callie feel warm all over. “Wait,” Callie said, stopping her in her tracks. She turned her back toward the other woman. “Could you unzip me?” Callie gathered her wet hair in one hand to clear the zipper of her red dress to Arizona's eyes. Hearing the deep, shaky breath that she gave, Callie apologized, “I'm sorry.” Her dress was already sticking to her though and trying to get the zipper on her own would be annoying.

“No problem,” Arizona said, her voice close. Lips touched the back of Callie's neck and brown eyes fell closed. Her skin felt like silk, smooth and cool against her mouth. Arizona could feel the backs of her fingers grazing Callie's spine as she dragged the zipper down. She wanted nothing more than to wrap her other arm around her waist and pull them together the steps it would take them to get to her bed. Arizona desperately wanted to be more to Callie than just a post-divorce work fling though, so she forced herself to step back. She traced the line of her back with only her eyes instead of the palm of her hand she wanted to use.

Callie wasn't sure she breathed the whole time Arizona was touching her, drawing a huge breath when she heard the bathroom door close behind her. She'd had passion with Owen but Arizona's touch _electrified_ her. Callie let the breath out in a loud huff and dropped her sopping dress fall to the floor in a wet ring around her feet. 

After toweling off Callie checked for rain damage to her makeup and tousled her hair out with the towel. Grateful it wasn't too wet, she wrapped it around herself as she peeked into the bedroom. Arizona was gone but had left clothes on the bed as promised and Callie hung the towel on the bar before she left the bathroom. There was an oversized t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts on the bed, which had been quickly made, the duvet tossed over rumpled sheets and pillows. It didn't match with the always professionally flawless looking Dr. Robbins Callie knew from work.

She could fall in love with the Arizona who'd become her friend, who didn't make her bed but didn't want her to know that yet.

Arizona's room was mostly neat, pictures in frames on the wall and on the dresser, no clothes on the floor the way there always were at her own house. Callie could appreciate getting this glimpse of Arizona's private home life and didn't want to abuse it, didn't snoop. She just pulled on the warm, dry clothes gratefully and left the bedroom.

Arizona had changed as well, now wearing a gray tank top and long flannel pants as she worked the coffeemaker in her kitchen. She looked adorably perfect. Arizona caught sight of her when she turned to get mugs from the cabinet. “Hey. I was thinking we had dessert already, but coffee would be a good night cap.”

“Sounds great.” Callie smiled warmly, smirking when Arizona’s gaze dropped to take her in.

“Whoa,” whispered Arizona to herself. Callie looked fucking _unbelievable_ in her clothes. “Those are – I don't think those shorts look like that on me.”

Callie laughed quietly. “Well, thanks. They're much more comfortable than that dress.”

“That dress was incredible,” Arizona stated earnestly. “And now, you look incredible now too,” she quickly added. “Just more... casual, which I like.” However, she wouldn't mind seeing Callie with wet hair and wearing her pajamas because they'd been in her bedroom _together_ , and not just because they'd gotten caught in the rain. The time would come. She could wait.

Before Callie could take a seat at the kitchen bar she heard her phone going off in the purse she'd dropped on the couch and changed direction to go get it. “It's Addison,” she said as she checked the display. “Sorry.”

“Get it,” Arizona told her. “The coffee's going to take a few more minutes.”

“This better be good,” Callie said as she slid her thumb across the screen. Addison's answering scream was loud enough that Arizona could hear it from the kitchen, her eyes opening wide. “Whoa...”

“Baby's coming!” Addison yelled, the background noises chaotic and confusing. 

Frowning, Callie crossed one arm across her chest and turned to look at Arizona. “Addie, honey?”

The voice who answered her this time was male, stressed and tight. “Torres?”

“Dr. Sloan? Is Addison okay?” Callie asked, concerned for her friend.

“She won't let me touch her, keeps screaming at me,” Mark said, clearly upset. “She wants you.”

“I held your hand while you had Allegra!” Addison yelled in the background. “I was there for you! Your turn to be here for me! Owen wasn't there – I was!”

“I'm right here!” Mark tried to protest.

“Get _away_ from me!” screeched Addison through clenched teeth. “This is _your_ fault! Callie, you owe me!”

Callie sighed, chewing on the inside of her lip. Addison had been there with her through Allegra's birth. No one else had been beside her but Addison was there. She covered the microphone. “Addison's in labor. Sorry.”

Arizona waved it off. “She's been about to pop for weeks. Is everything going okay?”

“I guess she won't let Sloan touch her. She wants me there,” Callie told her. “She was there for me when Allegra was born -” she started to explain.

“Go,” Arizona interjected, shaking her head. “It's alright.”

“Come with me,” countered Callie. “You're in Peds and I'm sure Addison would feel better if you were around.”

Smiling, Arizona shook her head again. “You go. I couldn't do anything tonight anyway, and it'll be good for her to see you. You can tell me all about it in the morning,” she directed gently. She found a travel mug in the drying rack and poured Callie a cup. “Take this and I'll bring you an espresso in the morning, okay?”

Seeing the wisdom in the suggestion Callie nodded. “Thank you,” she said gratefully. “Really, Arizona.” The other woman rounded the kitchen counter and pushed the mug into her hands. “I had a really great time tonight,” Callie sighed, Arizona's hands coming to rest on her hips. This wasn't how she'd planned on ending the evening but it would have to do.

“Me too,” Arizona agreed softly. “I want to do it again.” Callie nodded silent agreement. “Okay,” Arizona whispered, standing up on her bare toes to kiss Callie goodnight. Callie pressed forward immediately, her tongue slipping between Arizona’s lips and exploring as if they had all the time in the world. Arizona didn't resist, pulling her forward with both hands gripping the sides of her shirt while their mouths dueled languidly.

They didn't stop the kiss until they were each breathless, Callie's head leaning against Arizona’s as they caught their breath. “Goodnight,” Callie whispered, blue eyes so close to her own that she could swim in them.

“Good luck,” echoed Arizona just as softly. “Thank you for the date.” They both smiled. “I'll walk you out.”

Callie lingered in the hall outside the door as it closed behind her, breathing deep and letting her goofy grin out. Interruption aside, it had been an amazing night. She was happy, not simply coping, or merely content, she was over the moon, out of her mind _happy_. It was an exciting change. Her fingers brushed her lips, remembering the feeling of Arizona's kiss.

She wasn't allowed to linger though, her phone ringing again. “I'm on the way!”

“Torres, hurry! She's freaking out and I need some backup!” Mark Sloan pleaded with her desperately.

“I'm across the street,” Callie told him. “I'll be there in five minutes. You just keep her calm. Let her break your hand if you have to.” She hung up on his scandalized gasp, grinning to herself and getting excited. Her friend was having a baby tonight. Her good night was going to be the night Addison's life changed forever. She liked the thought that maybe her own life was changing too. Tonight could be the start of something for her. Something amazing, and good, and potentially life changing.

The hospital staff took more than a second glance at the Head of Cardio rushing through the hospital in the middle of the night in what appeared to be her pajamas and Callie was sure she'd hear all kinds of reasons for it from the nurses in the morning. She and Arizona could laugh about them over their coffees.

Addison was still screeching when she arrived, her baby daddy pacing the far side of the room anxiously. “Torres, thank God,” he said as soon as she walked in, gaping when he noticed what she was wearing. “Whoa, what were _you_ up to tonight?”

Ignoring him, Callie went to Addison's side, kissing her softly on the cheek. “How you doing?”

Addison had caught her boyfriend's tack though, grateful for the distraction. “I'm not taking anything. Where were you when Mark called?” Callie's hair was still wet, hanging in curled tendrils around their faces. Callie's mouth opened, her eyes jumping as she tried to think of an excuse. “Don't you lie to me!” Addison gasped, grabbing Callie's hand and squeezing down hard through the next contraction. “You were with someone!” she continued when she could breathe again.

Sighing, Callie knew she was stuck and confessed, “I had a date with Arizona.” Addison's eyes widened even as Mark grinned excitedly, appearing pleased by the confirmation of his gaydar. “Nothing happened, we just got caught out in the rain tonight so she gave me some clothes to wear home.”

“Mark, ice chips!” Addison barked shortly. She knew they couldn't have proper girl talk with him making comments in the background. Mark tried to protest but Addison just glared. Grumbling, he left the room. “Tell me – _everything_!” she ordered, the last word ground out between clenched teeth as another contraction struck.

“We can talk about it later,” Callie tried to reason with her.

“Talk about it now,” countered Addison, panting. “Distract me. This sucks.”

When she'd been in labor she and Addie had talked about surgeries, reciting procedures and discussing hypothetical situations until it was time to push. Callie supposed if she _had_ to she could talk about Arizona instead. “Fine. We went out for French food -”

“Skip to the part about why you look like you just got out of the shower and you're wearing blondie's pajamas,” Addison cut in, still panting and sweating but with a wide grin on her face.


	12. Chapter 12

Life was pretty damn good. It wasn't a sentiment Callie Torres had very often (or ever, really) but she felt safe saying it now. Because her life had gotten pretty damn good in the last few weeks. Her date with Arizona had been only the first of many, practically every night the kids were with Owen and even a few when they weren't. Cristina had aced her boards and promptly accepted Seattle Grace's offer, so she didn't have to worry about training some idiot how not to drive her crazy. Owen had closed on his house and moved his stuff out with a minimum of fuss. The kids were still upset, the only dark spot in her otherwise glowing life right now. But they had spent the last weekend at their father's new house and from Owen's text this morning she gathered that it had gone fairly well.

Callie was taking the time alone to linger over her breakfast and newspaper, sipping coffee as she perused the sports page. The quiet house was nice, on the occasions she got it. The phone by her elbow rang and she picked it up, smiling at Arizona's name on the screen. “Hey, you.”

“Calliope,” Arizona said warmly. “What are you doing this morning?” She had the kids' schedule down by now, knew Callie had the house to herself today.

Callie was currently melting into her chair, the same shiver in her stomach that happened every time Arizona said her name like that. “Just reading the paper.”

“That sounds nice,” Arizona said, sounding distracted.

“Maybe we could go out tonight?” asked Callie, hoping she was skipping beating around the bush and going directly to the reason for Arizona’s call. There was a pause and Callie frowned, hoping she hadn't misjudged things. 

“I want us to stay in tonight,” Arizona said in a rush, holding her breath as she waited through her own seemingly interminable pause for Callie to say something.

Callie breathed out an, “Oh.” Arizona didn't want to go out, but stay in. _Oh_. That sounded promising. Callie couldn't speak further as her throat went dry, her heart suddenly pounding.

“Nothing has to happen,” Arizona rapidly continued, anxious not to upset her girlfriend. That was how she thought of Callie in her head, at least. They hadn't used that word yet with each other. The rest of the hospital seemed to assume it about them, though. Most of the nurses would be shocked to know that they hadn't slept together yet, after more than a month of seeing each other publicly. As soon as the divorce had become public knowledge it had just been assumed that Arizona had been the one who'd broken them up, that a torrid affair had caused the split between two of the hospital's senior surgeons, a seemingly stable couple. In reality they'd both been cautious to cross into a physical relationship, neither one wanting to push them into territory they weren't ready for.

They grew closer every day though, and both were stunningly beautiful women. Self control could only hold on so long.

“We could just watch a movie on the couch. I just want to be close to you,” said Arizona softly. Cuddling on the couch with Callie was perfection. The first time they'd had time alone on the couch after they'd started dating Angus had crashed the evening at almost the same second that Arizona’s hand had slipped beneath his mother's shirt and they'd jumped apart before he could see anything, had spent the rest of the night with him sprawled across their laps.

“Your place?” Callie asked as an answer. “Eight? I could pick up Chinese, or Thai, pizza...”

“Pizza,” Arizona decided promptly, thinking fondly of showing up on Callie's doorstep with a hand-tossed and a six pack. They hadn't even kissed then. She didn't let a day go by without kissing her now.

Callie smiled and Arizona could hear it in her voice. “I'll be there.” Stretching her arms, Callie groaned as her shoulders popped and pinged. “I'm taking it slow this morning,” she confessed. “I'm still in my pajamas.”

Arizona's voice sounded hoarse, choked. “You're just teasing me now, so I'm hanging up.”

“I'll see you at the meeting,” Callie said, pleased with the reaction. “I'll bring you a coffee.”

“I'll see you soon,” said Arizona softly.

“Bye.” Callie hung up, stretching again. She was being lazy this morning but it was still only seven-thirty. Slow mornings meant something else to surgeons than they did to other people. Callie couldn't help wondering what Arizona was like in the mornings. Was she already up and dressed? Maybe half dressed, in her skirt and bra, bare feet sliding on the slick wood floor of her apartment's kitchen? Sighing, Callie dropped her head into her elbow and closed her eyes. God, she had it _bad_.

That wasn't it, though. She didn't simply have a thing for the hot Peds surgeon at work. She was crazy about her girlfriend. Callie was aware that the majority of the hospital thought that she and Arizona had started sleeping together long before she'd divorced Owen. Arizona had never pushed her for anything, though. Arizona had been vigilant about following Callie's lead, letting her set the pace, and pulling back on the occasions they'd gotten close to crossing that line. Callie knew without a doubt that if she went to Arizona's tonight and they stopped before anything happened that it would change nothing between them. Arizona wanted her, she could see it, feel it when they touched, but she wanted more for it to be right with them. This wasn't a trivial thing they were doing. It wasn't a rebound, wasn't casual with them. It was real.

When they fell in bed, fell together, it wouldn't be because they had reached the end of their control, or because the considerable passion between them had overpowered their senses. If she ended up in Arizona’s bed tonight it would be because she didn't want to let one more day pass without feeling Arizona’s skin, didn't want to sleep without tasting her.

Callie had to put on her own mental brakes. She was pretty sure she was going to need a cold shower this morning already. Allegra called just as she was slipping on her shoes, complaining that she'd forgotten her favorite headphones at her house. “Okay, it's fine. Tell me where they're at in your room and I'll bring them to you as soon as I get to work,” Callie promised, listening dutifully as her daughter told her where to find the headphones in the clutter of her bedroom. “I'll see you soon, baby girl. I love you.”

Allegra said goodbye but not 'I love you' and hung up. It didn't seem like it but it was progress. A week ago she'd have hung up without even a goodbye. Callie sighed as she dropped her phone in her purse and went to retrieve her daughter's pink headphones. All three of the kids were doing better with the separation, excepting the occasional snippy attitude from Allegra.

She was a little less sullen when she got her headphones back, submitting to a one armed hug and a kiss on the cheek from Callie when she got to daycare. She was in a hurry to get to the meeting but the boys noticed her and Gavin waved while Angus abandoned his game to rush across the room for a hug. “Hey, little man. You having fun at Daddy's house?”

He nodded, blond hair flopping in his eyes. “When we coming home?” he asked, blinking pale blue eyes at her.

“Your dad's house is home too, bud,” Callie told him with a sigh. “You're all back at my house tomorrow night,” she said when he pouted. “You guys will have fun with Dad tonight though, right?”

“Swimming,” he said, nodding again.

“Oh, you're going swimming? Cool!” Callie enthused, bouncing him against her hip. “You be careful, but have fun, okay?” She kissed him quickly. “I love you, Gus. Have a good day, okay?”

“Bye bye, Mommy,” he answered, squirming down willingly and running back to his playtime.

Late now, Callie still took a moment to stop at the coffee cart for two cups, hoping there would be an interesting enough case on the board to let her slip in unnoticed. It might have worked if she hadn't stumbled coming into the room. Ellis Grey pinned her with a sharp look but didn't say anything as Callie tripped to her seat, a red blush flushing her face. She couldn't help herself though, not when Arizona had worn her hair in wavy curls today. She'd seen it that way before, of course, but had been unprepared for seeing it that way first thing in the morning at work.

Maybe she'd see it that way first thing in the morning tomorrow.

Arizona always looked nice at work and maybe no one else had noticed the subtle upgrade in her wardrobe today, but Callie could see it – the neckline of the red dress she was wearing speaking to no one in the room but her, the waves in her hair begging no one else to run fingers through them, the teasing smirk on her lips offering a silent challenge to only Callie.

Callie couldn't even look at Arizona as she pushed the coffee across to her, keeping her eyes firmly averted. Their fingers brushed as Arizona took the cup and Callie felt her stomach flip and clench. It was going to be a _long_ day. Callie locked her eyes on her bag and swallowed hard.

Arizona was on the surgical board all morning and couldn't linger, leaving the conference room with a smile and a quick squeeze of the shoulder for Callie on her way out. Callie took another minute to gather her things, try and get herself back together. Owen was still in his seat but she didn't speak to him. They were only a few short weeks away from the divorce being finalized. As long as the kids' schedule was working out in the meantime she wasn't sure they had anything else they needed to talk about.

He cleared his throat though, fidgeting with his pen and not rising from his seat when everyone else filed from the room. “Callie, I had something – I know it's my weekend on the twentieth next month, but I think I'm going out of town, and -”

“No problem,” Callie interjected easily. “I can keep them. Do you want to keep them for a few nights before you go instead? We'll just switch nights that week,” she suggested.

Owen let out a deep breath, relieved that she was still making this easier on them both. “I have a session that Thursday so maybe you could make them dinner, or take them out, or something, and I'll pick them up when I'm free?”

Smiling, Callie nodded. “Of course, Owen. Is that it? You seem more anxious than asking for that warrants,” she commented, grateful for a distraction from her own preoccupation. “Where you going on this little trip of yours?” She'd meant it teasingly but his expression was downcast. “Hey, is everything okay?” she asked, shifting to the seat beside him and leaning closer to her ex-husband.

“Teddy's coming home,” he said softly, nearly a whisper. “Back to the States, I mean.”

Callie blinked, surprised by his answer. “Wow. Owen...”

He looked up at her from the tabletop, breathing deep. “I need to see her, Callie. I'm sorry.”

“You don't have to apologize to me,” Callie cut in, her head shaking. “What does your shrink say about this?” She had her own thoughts about why Owen needed his connection with Teddy, but she wanted to hear, from his own lips, that he wasn't struggling with this. She wanted him to be okay.

“She's urging... caution,” he admitted slowly, heaving another sigh. “Teddy, with our past...”

“Yeah,” Callie sighed herself, sympathetic. “She wants to see you?” He didn't answer but his lip tightened. “Of course she does,” Callie finished the thought herself. “Does she love you, Owen?”

His whole body went rigid, jaw clenching. “I don't know,” he said honestly. He hadn't let himself think about the possibility that Teddy might love him while he'd been married to Callie. He'd done what he'd had to do to be loyal to his marriage, which included not thinking about whether his best friend and the person he relied on to get through the day could feel real love for him. Not thinking about it had been easier than opening that door. “I married you, Callie.”

“I know that.” Callie was perfectly aware of that. “We're over though, Owen.” And she had found something real with Arizona Robbins, something that felt good, and right, and easy. As silly as it sounded, like it was meant to be. Something she'd never felt with Owen, for all that their relationship had started simply – two people falling into bed together. “If you think you love Teddy, if you even think you _could_ , I think you should go,” Callie told him seriously. “Be careful, of course, but be happy,” she urged him, surprising them both with her earnestness. Ice blue eyes blinked and his whole expression softened, as if he was seeing her with new eyes, for the first time, even. “I want you to be happy, Owen.”

His hand covered hers and Callie's gaze dropped to the table. “You really do, don't you? Callie...”

Callie sandwiched his hand between hers and rubbed his knuckles with her thumb before she withdrew both hands. “Don't go falling in love with me now, Hunt,” she commented, teasing again. “I've got a girlfriend.”

Owen's hand slipped back again. “Yeah, you do.” He sounded quiet, not sad or angry, just contemplative, and Callie snuck a glance at him. “How's Robbins doing with everything? She's good to you?” Callie deserved the best and nothing less. He'd seen how they were together, his ex and the Peds surgeon, and Arizona appeared to know, rightly, that Callie should be treated with respect, cared for, protected.

“She's amazing,” Callie confirmed, staring him down. “She makes me very happy, Owen.”

He got the hint promised in her tone and backed down. “I'm glad,” he said, cracking a smile. “The kids love her too.” Now he sounded different and Callie reached for his knee.

“You're their father, Owen,” she reminded him in a whisper.

“She's in their life. If she's important to you, they need to be important to her,” he countered as he stared at her.

Callie withdrew, her brows furrowing. This wasn't a conversation she felt should be happening with Owen. At least not any more than an acknowledgment of where they all stood. Talking about how serious they each took their relationship was a conversation she needed to have with Arizona. It wasn't as if she expected Arizona to parent her children – they had two parents already. She could see Owen's point, though. If she and Arizona were going to continue, get more serious, then she would be spending time with the kids. Maybe a talk about expectations wouldn't be out of bounds.

It wasn't, however, something she needed to discuss further with her ex-husband. “Arizona's my business,” she reminded him, standing up. “Let me know if anything changes about your trip.” Callie smiled when he looked up at her. “Good luck with Teddy.” The sentiment was genuine and Owen could only nod as he watched her walk away.

An intern's screw up kept her last surgery of the day interesting and made Callie late leaving the hospital. Thankfully though she only had to walk across the street to get to Arizona's apartment. She dialed for pizza as she was waiting at the crosswalk, grateful that it wasn't raining. A pizza with chicken and bacon would be there in thirty minutes and she tucked her phone in the back pocket of her jeans as she rode the elevator toward Arizona's door.

Arizona answered her knock with a grin already on her face, an open bottle of beer in her hand. “Hey, I heard about your surgery, but I hope you don't mind I started without you,” she said, letting Callie into her apartment.

“As long as you're just talking about beer,” Callie answered, wickedly teasing. She shrugged out of her leather jacket as she entered, hanging it on the hook just to the right of the door. “I hope you saved me one since the pizza will be here in half an hour, but I didn't stop for beer -”

There was another six pack in the fridge but Arizona wasn't sure that was pertinent information right now. Or, at least, it wasn't a priority for her at this moment. She put her half finished beer on the table next to the coat hooks with her keys, free hand spinning Callie by the elbow to face her while she stood on her toes to kiss her. They rocked back into the wall, Callie's head impacting with her jacket instead of the concrete surface. Both hands found Callie's hips, winding through the loops of her jeans to hold her close. Callie tugged her in by her hair, the small of her back, fingers curling into blonde waves and losing themselves. “I didn't see you today,” Arizona breathed, face close enough that her lips dragged across Callie's skin as she spoke. She didn't resist the impulse to duck her head, sucking kisses along Callie's jaw. Callie leaned her head back to give her more room. “It sucked.”

“You mean you missed me?” Callie asked, chuckling. Fingers dragged across the back of Arizona's head, tangling in her hair like she'd been thinking about doing all day. “That's sweet.”

Arizona took a half step closer, her body pressing her into the wall. She nipped the lobe of Callie's ear sharply, grinning when Callie moaned. “Are you saying you didn't miss me?” she asked breathlessly. “I can miss my girlfriend. It's not a crime!”

The realization of what she'd said took a second to sink in for them both, Callie's head falling back against the wall as she tried to catch her breath. Arizona wasn't sure what else to say, breathing hard herself. “I missed my girlfriend today too,” Callie echoed, smiling wide and brushing a thumb across the dimple in Arizona's cheek. On an unspoken shared impulse they both leaned in for another kiss, Callie pushing Arizona back this time.

They turned, rolling along the wall, Arizona's back colliding lightly against the blue door of her apartment while Callie's tongue dueled hers passionately. “So,” Arizona panted between kisses. “Are we just going to make out until the pizza guy gets here?”

“Do you have an objection?” Callie asked, grinning and trailing the tip of her tongue down to the pounding pulse in Arizona's neck.

Blue eyes slammed closed, fingers tight in the loops of Callie's pants as she held herself against the door with her girlfriend's body. “No,” she gasped out. “Just, I have a couch, you know...”

Callie spun them again, her steps forward prompting Arizona to stumble backwards toward the sofa. The back of the couch caught her in the middle of her backside and Arizona sat down on the edge, still kissing Callie almost relentlessly. Neither one wanted to stop. Callie's hand slid from her waist along the outside of her thigh, pulling her knee up beside her own hip. Arizona willingly hooked her calf around Callie's ass, holding her between her legs.

Leaning forward to get closer Callie overbalanced them, sending them both pitching backward over the back of the couch. Arizona's quick reflexes kept them from falling completely over, her fingers gripping the cushions in one fist while the other hand shot to Callie's back to steady her. Callie's head fell into her chest, both of them laughing. “That was not my smoothest move, sorry,” she apologized.

Arizona looked down at the top of her head and shifted so that her arm was holding Callie to her rather than hanging onto her. “Believe me, I'm fine with it.” It wasn't the most comfortable position ever, hanging upside down and half off the couch, in spite of the side benefits of having every inch of Callie on top of her. “But could we -?”

Callie was already moving, lifting herself up on her hands and letting Arizona slide out from beneath her. Watching while Arizona repositioned herself more conventionally on the sofa, Callie slipped willingly back into her arms when Arizona reached out. Snuggled close along the length of the couch, Callie leaned forward to close the slight space between them and kiss her again. The contact was soft now, slow. “This is nice,” she whispered, eyes blinking open to find Arizona's blues inches in front of her face.

“Stay?” Arizona asked, not meaning to put it out there but not regretting once it was. Even if they did nothing else tonight but sleep she didn't want Callie to go back to her house alone. She wanted them to spend the night together. “Stay here tonight,” she continued, speaking softly and watching for an answer in Callie's eyes. Callie had gorgeous eyes. “Stay with me?” She didn't have to speak, Arizona could see the soft look in her eyes, the smile curving her lips. She had an incredible smile too. Very nice lips.

“Yes.” Callie pressed forward for another kiss, moaning when Arizona let her in immediately. She wasn't going home when the alternative was this, being here, with this woman. Arizona fell back and Callie moved with her, the kiss deep and passionate and never ending. At least, they wanted it to be.

And even after the pizza delivery guy knocked on the door, a loud, impatient banging that rattled the hardware, it took them a few long moments to recognize the interruption for what it was. Callie pushed herself up on her hands but couldn't move off of Arizona until the blonde's fingers released where they were hooked in the front of her pants, holding their hips flush together. “Hey,” Callie whispered, panting for breath. “Let me go get the pizza,” she offered, licking her lips.

Arizona blinked, not appearing to understand how she was keeping her from doing that. Callie rocked her hips forward lightly, not enough to torment them but moving just enough for Arizona to realize where her hand was. Blushing bright enough to burn, Arizona pulled her hand back, holding it pressed flat to her rapidly rising and falling middle. “Sorry.”

Ducking her head swiftly, Callie took a quick, firm kiss. “Don't say that,” she urged, eyebrows bobbing playfully. “I'll be right back.”

Arizona popped up as soon as Callie was gone, watching her stride toward the door where their food delivery was still waiting impatiently. “My wallet's on the table,” she said quickly, slightly more than breathless. “Dinner's on me!”

Callie sent a smirk over her shoulder but dutifully retrieved a few bills from Arizona’s wallet before she opened the door. “Hi,” she greeted the young man on the other side, overly cheerful. She had a very good date going on her side of the door. A trivial interruption wasn't going to derail their night.

“Large with chicken and bacon?” he asked, bored with waiting.

“That's it,” Callie confirmed, smiling. “Thanks.”

“Keep the change!” Arizona called from the couch, piquing his interest nicely as he took a second glance at Callie's obviously mussed hair and swollen lips.

She just smirked, exchanging money for the box. “Have a good night,” she said, resisting the urge to wink at him as she nudged the door closed with her foot. “You don't know even know how much I gave him,” Callie reminded Arizona as she snagged the other woman's beer from the table as she dropped the wallet back in its place. “Keep the change?”

“I'm feeling generous tonight,” Arizona answered her, laughing. The way her luck was going tonight she felt sure she wouldn't miss whatever Callie had given their delivery guy as a tip.

“Where do you want to eat, then?”

“Anywhere,” answered Arizona again, more than satisfied with the company. She almost couldn't care less about the food.

Which was good because Callie promptly dropped the box on the kitchen counter, the beer bottle placed beside it with slightly more care. “Do you absolutely _hate_ cold pizza?” she asked from the kitchen. Because she could only think of one thing and it wasn't pizza.

“No, why?” She was actually fond of cold pizza, honestly. She didn't like microwaving it when she had leftovers, preferring to eat it cold for breakfast.

Callie's answer was in the teasing smile she sent back over her shoulder, the swinging sway of her hips as she walked into Arizona’s bedroom. It took Arizona a second to catch on, sitting up quickly and scrambling off the couch after her. _Oh._


	13. Chapter 13

The bed bounced as they fell in, the sheets crisp and clean beneath them while they playfully scuffled. Callie remembered the mussed sheets on Arizona's bed the last time she'd been in this room. If she hadn't planned on this she'd at least been hoping for it to happen tonight. Callie couldn't say she hadn't changed into her good underwear after Arizona's call this morning, hoping it would be appreciated tonight. She laughed as she pinned Arizona with her hands, thighs on either side of her girlfriend's hips.

“Don't think you've got me, Callie,” Arizona advised her, perfectly willing to let Callie Torres hold her down on her own bed. For now. Callie might be stronger than her but she could flip them any time she wanted. Hands pinned, she craned her head up to keep kissing her. Callie moaned from deep in her chest as Arizona sucked on her tongue, leaning forward to keep the contact between them. Arizona pushed a leg up between Callie's, her arms slipping free when Callie bucked against her. She looped both arms around her lover's shoulders, holding her body close.

Fingers tightened against the back of Callie's shirt, Arizona dragging the fabric up just slightly. Callie laughed against her mouth. “Is there something you're waiting on?” They both knew what they were doing here, both wanted it, or they wouldn't be in this bed right now. Arizona was still being considerate, giving her every opportunity to pull them back. Callie was simply done pulling back from what she wanted. She wanted this, with Arizona. “I figured I'd be the rusty one.”

It was a gentle joke, teasing to break any tension before it could build and stop this before it really started, Arizona capably flipping them and making Callie laugh. The blonde's body pressed her into the mattress, her hips falling between Callie's legs. “I think you'll remember what to do,” she promised breathily. “Whatever feels good.”

“You feel good,” Callie gasped, eyes falling closed as Arizona's hand grazed under the hem of her shirt, palm dragging against her side.

“You do too,” echoed Arizona, ducking to kiss the top of Callie's chest while her fingers walked up warm flesh. Callie jumped when her hand found the lace of her bra, hips rocking up hard into Arizona's. The next kiss found her lips as Arizona pushed her hips down into the contact. Balancing her weight on her knees, Arizona used both hands to tug Callie's shirt up. Callie moved to help with removing it but it still got caught in her hair, making Arizona grumble and practically pout. She was smooth in bed, not clumsy or faltering. “I knew I should have taken that off earlier.”

Callie laughed, sitting up entirely to leave Arizona in her lap and kissing her hard. Of course, if her fumbling made Callie more comfortable, leveled their playing field, then she was relieved. Arizona promptly peeled her shirt over her head and threw it blindly behind her. “Like when?”

Arizona's eyes fell to drink in the red lace bra covering her girlfriend's chest. “Like when you got here.”

Smirking, Callie held them off the mattress with one hand when Arizona’s next kiss threatened to knock them back to the duvet. Her fingers pulled lightly on the base of Arizona's top. Taking the hint, Arizona whipped her shirt over her head and sent it flying in the same direction as Callie's shirt. Callie let them fall back, still kissing passionately. Flesh pressed against flesh and Arizona simply couldn't keep her hands off, sliding her palms across as much silky skin as she could touch.

Callie had incredibly soft skin, curves that made her mouth water. Arizona’s hands found her breasts, making them both moan. Unable to reach the closure of her bra Arizona just pushed it up to free more of Callie's flesh to her eyes. Her mouth was definitely watering now, lips closing around a tight nipple a heartbeat later. Her hand attended to the other side, Callie's back arching into the contact.

Arizona wasn't rusty at all, skilled with both her hands and her mouth. Callie's thighs squeezed either side of her lover's hips, pulling Arizona closer. She wanted to return the affection but her body kind of felt like it was in overdrive, hyper aware of every sensation after so long without anything but her own hand, and that only infrequently. Arizona could probably make her come without even getting her pants off.

“Stop,” Callie gasped out. “If you don't stop I'm going to come.”

Arizona froze immediately, picking her head up with confusion furrowing her brows. “So that means I have to stop?” Callie was breathing hard, straining to keep her control. “If you can come, I want you to,” Arizona said honestly, dropping a kiss over Callie's pounding heart.

Callie shook her head even as her hips rolled against Arizona's leg. “I want to – you, with you.”

“I can wait,” Arizona offered, kissing up to her collarbone.

“I can't,” denied Callie. She shook her head against the sheets. “I want you naked.”

There was no arguing with that, Arizona's throat going dry. “Okay...” Licking her lips, she took a shaky breath. “Did you want to do that part, or...?”

Callie's eyes flashed. She most definitely wanted to do that part, get her hands on every part of Arizona she could get. “You can finish getting mine off,” she proposed equitably. Dimples popped when Arizona grinned, diving forward to kiss Callie again. The rest of their clothing was tossed and kicked off the bed between laughter and wild kisses during a playful tussle back and forth across the bed.

Fingers slipped along the outside of Callie's thigh, Arizona kissing the pulse that beat at the base of her lover's neck. “Can I make you come yet?” she asked, smirking against her skin.

“If you must,” Callie answered, her peak roaring and close. She might just have to resign herself to her first time with Arizona happening quick. At least that would give her the rest of the night to make Arizona come repeatedly.

Arizona leaned up on her elbow so their eyes met, Callie's legs falling open as she moved her hand inward. Callie's head craned up to meet her lips, the kiss slow and deep. Callie sucked in a breath through her nose as Arizona pushed two fingers inside her. Arizona kept her pace leisurely, willing to take her time to make this last as long as they could manage. Their kiss was only in fits and starts as they moved against each other, the pace slow and steady. 

Callie managed to shift her leg, giving Arizona some friction. The rhythm picked up gradually, Arizona curling her fingers and she moved quicker against Callie. She wasn't going to be able to resist coming for long, wanted at least a shot at Arizona getting off with her. “Arizona...” Her name was breathed out in warning, Callie's fingers dragging down her back as her orgasm neared the point of no return. 

Arizona just kept moving inside her, moving against her. “Look at me,” she gasped, fingers of her free hand trembling against Callie's hair. Watching how the woman under her responded to every move she made, the slightest motion sending sensation through every nerve, it had her close to the edge herself. But she had to see Callie's eyes, needed to look into her face as she pitched headlong into pleasure. “I want to see you.”

Gasping and whimpering as she struggled to comply, Callie forced her eyes open. Arizona's eyes were deep sapphire blue, darkened by her own arousal, and it was all Callie needed, coming with the next thrust. Arizona caught her bottom lip in a kiss, helping her ride through the spiral up and back down. Callie was still hazy but put her hands on Arizona’s hips, pulling her down against her leg. “Can you -?” she asked breathlessly. Nodding, Arizona rocked into her again. One hand stayed on Arizona’s hip, moving with her through slow rocking against her leg, the other finding Arizona’s and lacing their fingers, squeezing down hard.

Arizona fell forward as she came in a rush, both of them sweating and breathing hard, skin sticking together as she collapsed into Callie's shoulder. Panting, Arizona mouthed her skin, able to taste the salt of sweat on her tongue. “Oh my God.”

“Yeah,” Callie gasped her agreement, squeezing her hand again and dragging the other hand up and down Arizona's slick back. “You're amazing.”

Arizona laughed and kissed her shoulder again. “Back at you.” She pulled out gingerly, shifting and falling on her back beside Callie. The movement of air on sweaty skin felt good. When she could walk again she'd have to get up and turn on the ceiling fan. Callie turned onto her side to stay close, stretching across Arizona's pillow and sighing happily when Arizona moved her head to nuzzle her arm. That felt even better. She couldn't say she'd expected Callie to be big on cuddling after sex but it was an extremely pleasant surprise.

“You haven't seen anything yet,” Callie promised, smirking. “Just give me a minute.” She reached over to drag two fingers down Arizona's chest, between her breasts, and across her flat abdomen. Leaning closer Callie kissed her shoulder. She was still tingling, her heart pounding, and legs weak. But she just _couldn't_ stop touching Arizona, her kisses moving in to follow the ridge of Arizona's collarbone under her skin. The pulse was jumping under her lips. “Mmh,” she moaned, feeling her post orgasm haze starting to recede to be replaced by hunger. “I bet you taste _good_.”

Arizona groaned as Callie's lips moved against her skin. “Okay, down, girl. I need just a minute.”

Callie was already moving down, following the literal direction in Arizona's comment and kissing down her chest. She could easily spend a minute exploring Arizona’s body, much more than a minute, actually, and not be satisfied. Another groan was her reward when she teased a tight nipple between her teeth before laving it down with her tongue. Fingers threaded into her hair and Callie's lips smiled around her mouthful. Moving to the other side got her another moan, hand taking up where her mouth had just left off.

“Fine,” Arizona mock grumbled, her voice too breathless to really sell it. “You just do whatever you want. I can't stop you.”

“You don't want to stop me,” Callie husked against her skin, kissing a straight line down her stomach.

Arizona really, _really_ didn't want to stop her. “I think I'd like to see where this is going.” Callie took a second to send a grin up the length of her body before she settled into place between her legs, both hands caressing the insides of her thighs as Callie gently guided her knees apart.

First contact was just enough to fuel Callie's desire, making Arizona arch off the bed. One of Callie's hands moved up to press her body back down to the sheets. Callie hadn't done this in a while but it didn't show in her technique. She was thorough, tasting the effects of Arizona’s first orgasm and building her skillfully and slowly up toward another. Arizona could only gasp and moan, writhe under Callie's skilled tongue and touch. 

Arizona's fingers trembled and tugged in dark hair, not holding her in place but seeking a connection with the woman giving her pleasure. It wasn't about the sex though, not entirely. It was about _who_ was giving her so much pleasure. Callie wasn't just some nurse she'd brought home for a night of stress relief. It wasn't about getting off. She and Callie were about more than the sex, though it was proving to be a fucking _awesome_ addition to their relationship. She was in love with the woman between her legs.

Once it was in her head, the word applied to how she felt about Callie, it seemed obvious. Of course she was in love with Callie. It felt like she'd been in love with Callie forever, the other woman slipping into her life quietly, one small moment at a time. Now she wasn't sure how she hadn't been there the whole time.

The realization sent her over the edge with no warning, her thighs closing around Callie's head as she came in a rush. Her body went taut and tense, bowing off the bed in spite of Callie's hand. Callie stayed with her, bringing her back down slowly as Arizona relaxed a muscle at a time. Her knees fell open and Callie turned her head to kiss the inside of her thigh. “Mmh, I was right,” Callie hummed, sounding immensely proud of herself.

She had every right to be smug as far as Arizona was concerned. Arizona couldn't think of exactly what she was talking about though, her brain still short on oxygen and hazy with her orgasm. “Right?”

“You taste amazing,” Callie answered, dropping another kiss on the opposite leg before she crawled up to flop to the sheets beside her blushing lover. The next kiss took Arizona's lips briefly, the blonde still completely out of breath. She looked entirely spent and Callie slipped an arm across her middle, leaning in to kiss the side of her head. “We have to do that a lot from now on, hope you know that.”

Arizona laughed, head lolling over to catch Callie's eyes. “I'll get you a key,” she agreed, voice ragged. “You can come over tomorrow.”

“I wish I could, believe me,” Callie told her with genuine regret in her tone. “But the kids are back at my place tomorrow night.” And like Owen had reminded her earlier, the kids weren't exactly _aware_ that Arizona was more than just their mother's friend. She was equally in the dark about how Arizona felt about her children. They'd had a few movie nights at her house, the kids sitting in, but they'd been chaste in their presence.

Arizona just shrugged, stretching through the sheets happily. “I still need to get you a key.” Callie was her girlfriend, she trusted her, cared about her, wanted Callie to be able to get to her anytime she wanted or needed to. She could understand if Callie couldn't offer her a key to her house, where her children who didn't know she was bisexual and dating a woman lived with her. “I get it if you don't -”

It felt like a heavy post-coital conversation topic but Callie objected right away. “It's not that. Owen actually said something about it earlier.”

Arizona frowned, confused. The bedroom was only lit with the light that came through the open doorway from the living room and she couldn't see Callie's expression well enough in the dim shadows. “He said something about me getting a key, or being around the kids, or -?”

“No,” Callie cut in again swiftly. “Nothing like that! He trusts you around the kids, Arizona.” She still looked doubtful and Callie silently cursed her ex-husband for opening his big mouth in the first place. “He just kind of mentioned that maybe we should talk about how you see the kids, and how they see you.”

“He wants you to come out to your kids.”

“That's not exactly what he said,” Callie said, sighing and falling onto her back, her eyes on the ceiling. This is not the atmosphere she wanted after her first time with Arizona. “They're his kids, he has a right to -” Arizona sat up suddenly, tugging the top sheet up with her to cover herself. “Hey, come on,” Callie protested even as she moved to let the sheet slip free and pulled the corner of the duvet over herself. “Where are you going?” Arizona didn't answer, just held up one finger as she dashed out of her bedroom, flipping the switch by the door as she rushed out. The bedside lamp turned on and the fan above the bed started rotating slowly. “God damn it, Owen,” Callie cursed to herself, one hand hitting the mattress.

Arizona was back a second later, the sheet tucked under her arms while her hands were filled with the pizza box, the six pack and a roll of paper towels stacked on top. “Watch out,” she said, crawling back onto the bed and setting everything up between them. “I'm not mad, Callie,” Arizona told her as she flipped the box open. “We can talk about this. Let's do it. Let's talk.”

“This is not what I figured we'd talk about... naked, in your bed,” pointed out Callie reasonably. Arizona grinned, winking at her as she reached for a slice. “Are you sure?”

Chewing on her bite and taking her time to answer, Arizona nodded. She knew how she felt about Callie. She was in love with her. The thought made her heart jump in her chest. Maybe it was fast, maybe it was still a complicated situation, but she'd gotten to be Callie's friend long before they'd ever acknowledged that there was the real possibility for more between them. Arizona wasn't sure she hadn't fallen in love with her that first night at the bar. “I'm sure about you, Callie.” The answer made her lover's expression relax, her smile breathtaking. “I'm not trying to get in between you and the kids, or Owen and the kids. They're _your_ kids.”

Callie swallowed her own bite of pizza. “And you don't want to be a parent.” They'd talked about this. Arizona spent all her time with kids at work, preferred to limit her time with them outside of work.

“I don't hate your kids, Callie. They're cool. We play, goof around. I'm good with being their buddy,” Arizona told her earnestly. “If that's okay with you. And them.”

Smiling, Callie nudged her foot against Arizona’s knee. “They love you. You know they love you.”

Arizona leaned forward for a soft kiss, nodding. “I know that. Now, see? We talked about it, and we're done, and it wasn't that bad.” She bit her lip and hesitated. “Unless – do you want to tell them?” She didn't clarify, didn't have to.

Callie waited for a moment, wanting to get the answer right. She wasn't the type to hide. She wasn't sure she was capable of hiding how she felt about Arizona, as a matter of fact. And she had good kids. They would understand honesty. They'd want her to be happy, deserved to know who was making her so happy. “I'm sure about you, Arizona.” Licking her lips, Callie smiled, hopeful look in her eyes. “Would you want to be there? When I tell them?”

Arizona could see the soft expression on her face, Callie's heart in her eyes. Callie Torres was seen as this badass Cardio surgeon around the medical community, an innovator, creative, professional, and smart. Before they'd become friends that had been all she'd really known about Callie just from working with her. It had taken a single one on one case to see her heart. Callie had a huge, caring heart that she kept carefully shielded. Getting to know her had given Arizona precious access to that tender heart. “Of course I'll be there with you,” Arizona promised. “I don't know that I've ever come out to kids before,” she confessed with a smile, relieved to get a smile back from her girlfriend. “But you don't have to do it alone unless you want to.”

“Do you think it would be easier for them if I talked to them on my own?” Callie asked, the whole idea making her nervous. She would rather have Arizona sitting beside her but she didn't know if the kids would be able to hear what she was saying, be able to take it seriously, if their friend Arizona was there to play with them. “If you're there they might want to play...”

“Don't worry,” Arizona stopped her gently. “I'll do whatever you want me to do. I could come in after you get them settled, or not at all if you think that would be better for them.”

Callie nodded, swallowing a sip of her drink. “I don't know how to do this. But you are important to me and they should know that.”

“I understand, Callie,” said Arizona. “You're important to me too.” She barely held back saying _the_ word. Callie was so much more than just important to her. “And it would be amazing to be able to kiss you without Angus making us jump apart like we're getting caught. But if you think it would be too much for them, on top of the divorce and everything...”

“They should know. The boys won't understand what it means that we're dating, but they should all know how happy you make me,” Callie said with a sigh, falling onto her back.

Arizona watched without comment, finishing her slice of pizza and reaching across to pluck the beer bottle from between Callie’s fingers. She took a sip and set the bottle on the floor beside the bed, dragging the pizza box over to put it out of the way. Once the bed was empty of everything but them she slid across the space to Callie's side, tugging the edge of her sheet out of the way so she could get close, Callie's arms pulling her in. “You make me happy too,” Arizona whispered, pleased when Callie's head turned to meet her lips. “And you're right. We should tell your kids, together.”

Smiling, Callie combed one hand through waves of blonde hair, feeling the tickle of Arizona’s breath against her shoulder. “Maybe you could come over some night after dinner? We could sit them down, talk it out with them.”

Arizona kissed her shoulder. “Maybe they'll be happy for us,” she teased lightly.

“Gus is going to be crushed,” Callie said, rolling her eyes. “He's crazy about you.”

“Well, he's very cute, but I lo – I'm with _you_.” Arizona caught her slip at the last second but smiled goofily against her girlfriend's skin. She wasn't going to be able to keep the word inside for long, not with the feeling filling her up. If Callie heard the stutter she didn't respond to it, just kept stroking Arizona’s hair. “Mmh, if you keep doing that I'm going to fall asleep on you.”

Callie just breathed deep, fingers still moving. “I'm completely good with that. We can take a breather before we go again.” She hadn't had anyone sleep so close to her, every available inch pressing together, in what felt like years. She and Owen had a king sized bed and had made use of every bit, sleeping with as much space between them as they could get. The kids had joined them occasionally when they didn't feel well but they'd learned not to snuggle towards their father, their presence making him flee the bed more often than not. He couldn't sleep with them next to him, too afraid that something would happen to one of them if they touched him when he wasn't expecting it.

Arizona's bed wasn't as big but there was no space between them. Callie had forgotten how nice it was, being close to someone like this. It wasn't proximity alone though. It was _who_ she was close to. Arizona was amazing – sweet and smart, caring and thoughtful, charming and beautiful. Long before they'd gotten to this night, this place together, Arizona had become one of the most important people in her life. She hadn't planned on falling for her best friend. Divorce and dating again had never been something she'd thought would be happening to her at this point in her life. Everything about Arizona felt _right_ though, uncomplicated and _good_ in a way Owen hadn't been in a long time, since they'd gotten pregnant at least. The sex had been good with Owen, and he was a good man, but holding Arizona now, after their first time, she knew there was no comparison to be made.

“Okay,” Arizona hummed, breaking Callie free of her mental musings gently, and leaned up to kiss her softly. “Nap now, and then more sex.” Callie nodded, deepening the next kiss and craning her head up. Arizona pushed her back to the bed with a soft hand.

“You're a good kisser,” Callie offered as an apology, smiling up at her. “I can behave for a little while.” She paused, one hand lifting the sheet to take a peek at all the skin that was currently pressed against her own. “But you are naked.”

“Catnap,” promised Arizona with a laugh, one leg curling over Callie's to tangle them even further. She couldn't say she wasn't happy to be on the receiving end of Callie's renewed and apparently insatiable sexual appetite. “Then whatever you want.” She reached up to turn the lamp off.

Callie closed her eyes as Arizona's head nestled into her shoulder, tucking the sheet around them. “How big is your shower?” she asked in a whisper, grinning when a laugh was breathed against her skin.

“I know what I'm going to be dreaming about,” Arizona said, pleased by the prospect of seeing Callie in her sleep.

Humming, Callie let her fingers get lost in golden hair, on the edge of sleep herself. “Mmh, I hope I'm there.” She smiled when fingertips slapped her side lightly.


	14. Chapter 14

Callie was nervous all through dinner, her knee bouncing under the table. The kids didn't seem to feel it though, chattering about their weekend at Owen's, talking over each other and bragging about who'd had the biggest cannonball splashes in the neighborhood pool. The routine was playtime in the living room after dinner, leaving the kitchen so Callie could clean up their dishes. A gentle knock on the window of the backdoor made her jump, Arizona waving with three fingers through the glass.

“Hey, I'm not too late, am I? Or too early?” She could see her girlfriend's nerves in the way her hands trembled and Arizona shifted the box of donuts she'd brought to one hand to take her hand. “Hey, come on. It's going to be okay,” she promised earnestly. “Remember, they already love me.” She lifted the box into view. “But I also brought a bribe. So we've got nothing to worry about, okay?” Callie's laugh was choked and Arizona stepped forward to kiss her softly. “Everything's going to be fine.”

Callie nodded, licking her lips. “Not if you're getting my kids all hyper with donuts right before bedtime.”

Arizona’s response was cut off by a call of, “Mom!” from the living room, Gavin loud and pleading.

“Excuse you?” Callie called back, her eyes rolling. Arizona smirked but took a quick step back in case one of the kids suddenly appeared.

“Please, Mom,” he called again, remarkably not sullen. Of all her children he could be counted on to be the most reasonable. Allegra got pouty, snippy. Angus was the softhearted one, the first to whimper and whine or cry. How would they handle what she was going to tell them tonight?

“I'm coming,” Callie told him, glancing down when Arizona’s fingers slipped through hers to hold her hand. “Thank you,” she whispered, glad that she didn't have to do this on her own.

Smiling sweetly, Arizona nodded. “You ready?”

“No, but let's do it,” said Callie, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Leave the donuts for now.” Arizona dropped the box promptly on the dinner table, letting herself be pulled along by the hand. “Hey, guys, look who I found,” Callie announced them as they moved to the other room, all three kids going still as the adults entered.

“Hey,” Arizona said, giving them a small wave with her free hand. Callie didn't drop her other hand, Arizona quietly relieved by the gesture.

Gavin was the first to move, beating Allegra to Arizona by only half a step. “What are you doing here?!” he asked excitedly, beaming up at her. “Want to see my plane?”

“Maybe in a minute,” Callie intercepted the request. “First I need you guys to sit down and listen, okay?”

Gavin huffed as he dropped cross-legged right where he stood. Allegra looked more wary, stepping backwards until her knees touched the chair Owen had preferred. Angus just blinked from where he was still kneeling over his coloring book and crayons. All three looked almost resigned.

“Hey, it's not bad, you guys,” Callie told them, dismayed that her children were still always waiting for the next bad thing to happen. “It's good. Arizona’s going to be around more.” She glanced sideways at her girlfriend, losing her nerve, silently pleading for help.

There was only a moment of quiet, Arizona stroking her thumb across Callie's knuckles soothingly when she could feel the woman beside her start to tremble. “I care about your mom. A lot.” Arizona took a deep breath. “Would it be okay with you if I spent more time here?”

“Yeah!” Gavin was eager immediately. “Can my friends come over too?”

Callie managed a smile. “Arizona is my friend, but it's more than that. We're not just friends, bud.” His little face screwed up when he frowned in confusion, trying to work it out. He looked like Owen with that expression on.

Arizona wasn't sure how to explain dating to someone so young. So she did the only thing she could think of to show him what they meant. She caught Callie's elbow and pulled her so they were face to face, her eyes showing her intention, getting Callie's silent approval before she leaned in. “It's okay,” she whispered, licking her lips. “Just kiss me.” One hand on Callie's face, fingertips lightly stroking her jaw, coaxed her in.

The first touch was stiff, almost chaste, the way she'd kissed Owen. She wasn't kissing Owen though, was kissing Arizona, and everything she was responded to the woman in front of her. They didn't deepen the kiss, remained aware that they were in front of children, but the feeling was still there, needing no words to explain the depth of emotion between them.

Smiling as the kiss ended Callie didn't step back, her hands gripping the sides of Arizona's jacket, just turned her head toward the kids. “Everybody okay?” she checked, her voice soft.

“Arizona's kissing friends with my mommy?” asked Gavin, speaking for all of them. Gus' little blue eyes were pale but steady, brows drawn down as he contemplated this paradigm shift. Allegra was wide eyed and silent, surprised to see her mother kissing anyone, even Arizona.

Stepping forward Arizona crouched to his level and took a deep breath. Callie rested a hand on her shoulder, standing beside her. “Yeah, I am. Is that okay with you?”

He glanced behind him at his twin, laterally at his sister, conferring silently with his siblings before returning his attention to Arizona. “Can we still play games?”

“Of course we can, bud,” Arizona promised him easily. “Maybe your mom will let me spend the night sometimes too.” She grinned when Callie lightly swatted the back of her head in rebuke. “I could make us pancakes.”

The boys were immediately turning pleading gazes on their mother, something Callie felt sure Arizona had been hoping for when she'd made the offer. “Daddy makes pancakes,” Allegra chimed in, tone just barely on the right side of challenging to escape a warning from Callie.

Arizona didn't miss a beat. “Waffles then.” She turned a full beaming smile toward her girlfriend's oldest. “We could throw some chocolate chips in there if you want.” Allegra still looked belligerent. “Guys, I'm not your dad. I'm not trying to be,” Arizona told them all earnestly. “I just want to spend time with your mom. I want to get to know you guys. And we want you to be okay with it.” She smiled when Callie knelt beside her. “Are we all good?”

Gavin knocked his fist against hers without a second thought, Gus scrambling past him to throw his arms around Arizona’s neck before he let himself flop into his mother's lap. Allegra hesitated but sent them a nod of agreement. “Can we play now, Mom?” Gavin asked, not interested in further conversation when his buddy was there.

“Sure,” answered Callie with a laugh, hugging Angus as her youngest made himself comfy in her lap. “And Arizona brought donuts if anyone wants dessert.”

Gavin rapidly changed his mind, jumping up and rushing for the kitchen. Allegra hesitated but followed her brother, a small smile peeking out at Arizona as she passed. Gus was satisfied where he was, pulling one of Callie's arms around his chest.

“You good?” asked Arizona in a whisper, combing her fingers through dark waves of hair. She wasn't sure how it could have gone better herself, but needed to make sure Callie was alright with the kids' reactions.

“You're sleeping over,” Callie said in answer, her voice low enough that Gus couldn't distinguish what she'd said.

Arizona smiled when Callie lifted her head to look at her. “You think that's a good idea? It's not too quick?” Seeing their mother kiss someone else was one thing. Seeing her bringing someone else into their home, the bed she'd shared with their father, was something else entirely. “Maybe we should work up to sleepovers.”

It felt like every time they made a step forward there was some kind of restriction, self imposed or otherwise, keeping them from taking another. Arizona could understand Callie's reluctance though. She was going through a lot of changes in her life right now. And if slowing their pace could save them from making more of a mess then Arizona would be the first one pulling back on the reins.

“You've never snuck in anywhere?” Callie asked, an eyebrow arching. “I don't believe that.”

“Callie...” Arizona said slowly, whispering. “If I stay -”

“We can be quiet,” countered Callie before she could finish the statement. She knew exactly what she was asking for.

“And, what, I just come back in the morning to make waffles?” Arizona checked, wanting to know what the plan was, exactly.

Callie shrugged, leaning over for a soft kiss. “We can work up to that,” she proposed. “I just want to be close to you tonight.”

“So I'm leaving after donuts?” Arizona asked with a smirk.

“You got it,” Callie answered, taking another kiss and winking.

“Do you know how long it's been since I've snuck _out_ of somewhere?” Arizona asked under her breath, teasing. There was no time for Callie to consider that (did she really want to think about Arizona sneaking out of some other woman's bedroom before breakfast and how recently that might have been?) before the kids were back and freshly sugared.

“Hey, guys, it's almost bedtime, so play for twenty minutes and then it's time for a story, bed, and Arizona's going home,” Callie instructed them all.

The time went too quickly for the kids, all three pleading for Arizona to stay through the story at least, curling up on the couch with her while Callie selected a book. It was sweet, seeing her girlfriend in the middle of a pile of children. Allegra's head was on Arizona's leg, Gus leaned back against her chest, Gavin stretched out beside her and mimicking her relaxed slouch. It was so perfect that it made Callie's heart jump in her chest. Arizona didn't want kids, she could deal with that, as long as Arizona could deal with this. Because the alternative was not having Arizona at all and she was quite sure, now that she had Arizona in her life in every way she wanted her, she couldn't go back.

Allegra let her mother put her legs over her lap while she read, though she woke herself up enough to walk to bed on her own, still quietly frustrated with Callie over everything that had changed in her life. She gave Arizona a hug before she walked upstairs though, making Callie's heart swell with pleasure even as she swallowed her own jealousy. It wasn't Arizona's fault that Allegra's life had been rattled. She was her daddy's girl, leaving Callie to shoulder the blame for the divorce. Things would get better as they all got used to the new realities.

Leaving Arizona on the couch Callie tucked a son against each shoulder and trooped upstairs, both of them limp and heavy in her arms. They stayed sacked out though as she tucked them into their beds. Allegra was asleep as well, or at least pretending, when Callie peeked in on her, but she didn't push it. She caught Arizona with her hand on the doorknob at the base of the stairs. “Hey, the coast is clear. You don't actually have to sneak back in,” Callie said with a smile and a quiet laugh.

Arizona pushed the cigarette case she'd been reaching for back into the inner pocket of her jacket and grinned. “Lead the way.”

“Unless you don't want to stay,” Callie said thoughtfully, watching as Arizona jerked her hand back off the knob.

“I was just going to step out and get some air, give you a minute to get the kids down,” Arizona protested, her voice low. Maybe she'd planned on smoking _one_ cigarette but it wasn't like she'd lit up right in front of the trio of tiny humans. She wasn't actually sure her girlfriend knew about her bad habit yet though, so her lips stayed closed on the subject. The desire to smoke happened so rarely that it wasn't worth mentioning.

“Are you sure?” Callie checked. “Well, we're good if you want to come up,” she said when Arizona nodded. “Or if you want to go home...”

Arizona took her hand before the escape clause was through her lips. “Come on.”

Callie was silent on the stairs, Arizona stepping on the creaky step third from the top and making them both freeze. There was no reaction from any of the bedrooms and Callie guided them forward again. Laughter started as soon as Callie's bedroom door was closed behind them, muffled behind hands to keep from wasting their efforts to be quiet.

Arizona couldn't resist peeking around, had never been in Callie's room before. The walls were painted gray, framed art prints hanging as the only decorations. There were pictures of the kids on the dresser, two drawers hanging open, the closet door open and nearly full. The majority of the space was taken up by the huge bed, the sheets rumpled and messy, with a single pillow right in the middle.

“Sorry I didn't have time to clean the sheets,” Callie apologized, looking around her room herself to try and spot any potential embarrassments before Arizona did.

“I believe that's because we were in my bed last night,” reasoned Arizona with a smirk. It had been Owen's night with the kids and Callie had come over right after work. “So I'm fine with how it turned out.” They'd been in her bed, in her shower, very nearly on the kitchen island this morning before they'd realized how much time they'd spent in the shower. Rushing directly to work had meant Callie hadn't had time to run home to change clothes or refresh the sheets on her bed. Luckily she kept a change of clothes in her locker so it wasn't _completely_ obvious that they'd spent the night together. Owen had kept his eyes on his tablet when they'd rushed into the morning meeting at the last second, Addison barely hiding her knowing smirk.

Callie smiled to herself. “Do I need to get you some pajamas?”

“That would probably be prudent,” Arizona said, still smirking. “There are kids in the house, you know.”

Blinking as she realized that Arizona was right, Callie sighed and let her shoulders slump. “Oh yeah...”

“I don't need them right _now_ , Calliope,” Arizona reminded her lightly, teasing, turning to face her and stepping in close. Callie took the unspoken invitation and leaned in even as Arizona's arms rose to wrap around her shoulders. Their mouths met slowly, the contact soft. Arizona let her fingers play at the back of Callie's neck, stroking through soft dark hair, pulling her in for a deeper kiss.

Callie did one better, hooking either hand under the backs of Arizona's knees and lifting her feet from the floor. A surprised noise was muffled in another kiss, Arizona wrapping her legs around Callie's hips. Two quick steps tumbled them into her bed, Arizona pulling Callie with her with both hands gripping her shirt as she used her legs to propel them across the wide mattress. Not wasting time, she tugged Callie's shirt up and over her head. They both grinned when it landed with a quiet thump at the base of the door. Reciprocating, Callie sent fleet fingers down the line of buttons in the center of Arizona's shirt. Peeling the fabric away from fair shoulders they let it drop to the bed beneath them.

The next kiss drove them back to the mattress, hands roaming across warm skin, chests touching. Callie's fingers didn't falter with the buckle of Arizona's belt, handling the button and zipper easily. She moved the denim aside and pushed her hand into Arizona's pants, grinning when her girlfriend gasped into her mouth and bucked. “Shh,” Callie whispered against her lips.

“Take them off,” Arizona pleaded with her, her voice husky and breathy. “I want you inside me.”

Callie was noisy then, Arizona kissing her hard to keep them quiet. She did lift her hips to aid Callie's now fumbling efforts to push her jeans down and off, though. The metal buckle of her belt clicked against the hardwood floor when Callie tossed them over the edge of the bed. Callie's efforts to get her naked were delayed while Arizona shoved her pants down her hips, letting Callie kick her own bottoms off. Arizona’s panties made no sound at all as they followed to the floor. Callie stifled herself in another kiss as her hand grazed Arizona's center.

Knowing that it was a risk to wake the children, Callie was unable to resist breaking her mouth from Arizona's as she moved inside her, needing to hear Arizona's gasp, feel the breath against her neck. Arizona's nails dragged across her shoulders and drew a breathless groan from Callie. A blistering kiss kept either of them from getting too loud.

Arizona could feel her temperature rising as Callie worked her up, moving bodies and twisting, plunging fingers building a rising, rushing peak in the pit of her stomach. The sensation grew and spread as they moved, down toward her toes and the length of her arms, burning in her joints where she was struggling to get a grip on anything that felt solid – the sheets of the bed, Callie's back – and finally exploding in her chest as she tumbled into bliss.

Callie stayed with her as Arizona came down slowly, only easing out and falling to the mattress beside her after the hand on her back had relaxed and Arizona's breathing had slowed. “You're incredible,” Callie said into the quiet dark. If the burning on her back was any indication she was going to have a few souvenirs left over from tonight. The feel of cool cotton was nice but the sheets dragged against her stinging, raw scratches.

“You,” Arizona countered, breathing deep. The whole bed, the whole room, smelled like Callie. It was nice. “How bad did I get you?” she asked when her lover shifted beside her. “Turn over. Let me look.” Her arms felt shaky but she pushed her upper body up onto her elbows.

Callie just smiled, craning up for a kiss. “Don't worry about it.”

Arizona kissed her back, deep and slow, her eyes falling closed as she breathed everything in. Callie's breath was sharp as the kiss ended and she relaxed back into the bed. “Turn over or I'm going to make you,” she directed. It was the wrong thing to say, Callie's eyebrows arching in challenge. Arizona grinned back at her, promptly slipping both hands beneath her girlfriend's sides and flipping her onto her front. She moved quickly to straddle her still clothed hips, hands on Callie's arms to keep her from turning the tables on her. There were red lines down her back, messy and overlapping, the intersections making Arizona wince. “Honey, I'm sorry.”

The unintentional pet name made Callie smile widely, the expression buried in the pillow under her head. “Don't be. It's hot how hot you get for me,” she reasoned. Arizona's fingers dragged across her skin, the contact light where she was sensitive. It had been forever since she'd been touched so carefully, so intimately. It wasn't about being naked, even, but the care Arizona's fingers stroked across her back. “That feels good,” whispered Callie, her eyes falling closed as she breathed deeply.

“You feel good,” Arizona echoed, tracing random patterns into olive skin. Callie felt better than good, perfect under her hands, everything she liked in a woman. It wasn't how she looked that drew Arizona in though, but the way Callie's eyes lit up when she was happy, the curl of her lips when she smiled, how much she cared about her patients, the overwhelming love she had for her kids.

“I'm not opposed to this, don't get me wrong,” Callie mumbled drowsily. One eye peeked open to find Arizona. “But I want to hold you.”

It almost slipped out then, that she was in love with Calliope Torres, but Arizona held her tongue. Smiling, she leaned over to kiss her cheek. Callie made a soft noise when their skin pressed together, one hand reaching back blindly to find her thigh. Arizona extended the contact willingly, drawing in the scent of Callie's hair, her skin. She only moved when the hand on her leg gently pushed, sliding off and being immediately engulfed in Callie's arms, warm lips on her neck as Callie tugged her in snugly against her own body. This bed might be massive but they clearly wouldn't be needing the space. Arizona found herself more than okay with that.

“What about the pajamas?” Arizona asked in a whisper. An indistinguishable grumble was her answer, Callie's arms releasing her reluctantly. Arizona didn't move further than to sit up and pull the sheets up over them, settling back into Callie’s embrace. “Good?”

“Good,” Callie murmured, smiling against her neck. She couldn't comprehend anything better than sharing her bed like this with Arizona. Before having the kids she could sleep through anything but the sound of her pager. Now she felt sure she'd wake up in plenty of time to get her girlfriend out of the house before they were in danger of the kids catching them naked in her bed.

However, Callie had underestimated exactly how comfortable she was sharing space with Arizona, waking up with a start as she heard the hall bathroom toilet flush at five after seven the next morning. Arizona hadn't moved, undisturbed by the sound. Callie shoving her made blue eyes pop open blearily. “The kids are up,” Callie hissed, holding the sheet to her chest and leaving Arizona bare in bed.

The blonde just stretched languidly, not appearing bothered. “Okay.”

Callie was more panicked, quite sure that she'd never been walked in on by any of the kids and not sure what she'd do if that fact changed this morning. Arizona smirking up at her from her sheets was a pleasant distraction though. “You could care a little bit,” she suggested, a smile tugging on the corner of her mouth. She couldn't help herself when Arizona was looking at her like that, all sleepy and satisfied and smug.

“I care,” said Arizona, arm curling behind her head as she relaxed further into the bed. “But I think I proved last night how quiet I can be. You distract them and I'll go out the front door.” Her other hand tousled her hair and Callie's teeth dug into her bottom lip as she had to hold herself back. “Do you have to go now or can they be on their own for a few minutes while we hop in the shower?”

Callie moaned, shoving her girlfriend's bare shoulder. “You're mean.” Her hand flattened against Arizona's smooth skin on its own, her brain not in control of her actions currently. Not when her lover was naked and grinning up at her from her sheets. “We couldn't take a long enough shower.” At least not this morning with the kids in the house.

Knowing that Callie was right Arizona sighed, sitting up on her elbows. Her shirt was within reach and she leaned over to snag it. “Okay, so I'll get out the door and you can take a short, boring shower, alone, and I will see you later at work.”

Pouting, Callie narrowed her eyes at the other woman. “You're just _mean_ ,” she repeated herself.

“You're dating me, aren't you?” countered Arizona with a smirk, sitting up entirely and tugging her shirt over her shoulders. “So I guess I'm not _that_ mean, Calliope.” Arizona wasn't mean at all, was caring and considerate, smart, funny, happy, and she made Callie _very_ happy.

Leaning in, Callie was gratified when Arizona met her lips for a soft kiss. “You're sweet,” whispered Callie against her lips. And she was in love with her. She'd been drowning with Owen, losing herself, her sanity, her life, one day and one piece at a time. Arizona was fresh air, sweeping into her life and enabling her to keep her head above water with just her friendship. Callie had fallen for Arizona fast, fallen hard. It was just how her heart worked – she loved fast, loved completely, giving herself over to her relationships. Her open heart had burned her in the past. She was always the one who loved first, loved hardest, if the other person even loved her at all. Callie wasn't sure Owen had even said it since they were first married. Not that she'd said it to him. They'd never really been in love with each other. There had been no time to love Erica Hahn before she'd left.

She loved Arizona Robbins though. The feelings she had for her friend-girlfriend-lover eclipsed anything she'd ever felt for Erica, or Owen, and they grew every day. Arizona, not Owen, had the power to ruin her now. So she held her breath and let the love tickle the back of her throat instead of bursting free of her lips.

“What is it?” asked Arizona in a whisper, able to hear the thump of socked feet descending the stairs. Blue eyes searched Callie's face for a clue, sensing some secret cause to her girlfriend's sudden distraction that wasn't the threat of children catching them. Callie shook her head, licked her lips. “Hey, whatever it is, you can talk to me,” Arizona continued softly. “I love you.”

Callie blinked, bottom lip falling open. “What?” Arizona wasn't surprised by her statement, the same earnest caring in her face. Callie couldn't believe what had just slipped from her mouth though, her heart skipping and swelling in her chest. “Really?”

A soft smile curled Arizona's lips, blonde curls falling in front of her eye as she nodded. “Mm-hm,” she murmured, knowing what Callie was asking for, reassurance. She had grown to know her girl's sensitive heart, knew that declarations of love would be met with disbelief. Callie had a huge, unbelievably generous heart, giving love and affection to everyone in her life without expecting love for herself.

“I love you too,” Callie breathed, feeling a smile growing.

“You don't have to say it back,” Arizona told her gently. “That's not why-”

Callie interjected, her voice soft, “That's what I was thinking about when I was kissing you.” She blinked and her smile felt like it had spread across her entire body. She was happy, entirely overwhelmed with bliss, with _love_. “I was thinking that I'm in love with you, Arizona.”

Blue eyes blinked then, Arizona's dimples peeking out as her own smile grew dazzling. “Awesome,” she declared, both women laughing. It might not be the best sentiment to choose but it was the only word she could think of at that second.

A distant crash from the kitchen, followed immediately by a “Sorry, Mom!”, put a stop before anything could start. Callie grimaced, if it could be called that, her expression still mostly dazed joy.

“I'll get dressed,” Arizona sighed, starting to slide toward the distant edge of the bed. 

Callie's hand on her arm stopped her. “I think you're forgetting something,” said Callie, leaning in for a soft kiss. Arizona's fingers slipped across her jaw, the contact feather light. Another noise from downstairs kept them from falling back to the sheets and losing themselves entirely. They were laughing again when they split apart, Callie relieved when Arizona wasn't upset or disappointed by another interruption by her kids.

“We need to go,” said Arizona softly, reminding herself as much as Callie. “Text me when the coast is clear and I'll dodge that squeaky step on my way out.” Callie slid off the bed to throw on a robe. Arizona moved more slowly to follow her, Callie catching sight of her and rushing back to kiss her hard. “Callie, this isn't leaving,” Arizona gasped between deep, plundering kisses.

“But you're an _awesome_ kisser,” Callie reasoned, breathing hard against her mouth. “And I'm in love with you.”

There was no arguing with that, Arizona kissing her again. This kiss was slow, softer, Arizona's fingers winding the tie of Callie's robe around her hands to pull her in. She wanted nothing more than to push the fabric aside and let her hands roam across painfully smooth bare skin. But they had to leave this bedroom, and soon, so she tied the cord at Callie's waist instead of pitching them back into bed.

Exchanging grins as they separated Callie waited until Arizona had her underwear and jeans back on before she slipped out, pulling the door closed behind her. Arizona could hear her padding down the stairs, the murmurs of Callie talking to her kids as she pulled her shirt back over her shoulders and found one of her shoes under the bed. Her phone buzzed after a few minutes, a simple _'coast is clear'_ on her screen. A few seconds later another message flashed up. _'I love you.'_

Smiling, Arizona left the bedroom still looking at her phone. She didn't make it two steps without being caught, Gus standing just outside his bedroom with one little fist tangled in his hair while the other scrubbed at his eyes as he struggled to wake up. Arizona couldn't help a smirk. He was clearly Callie's son, no matter much his coloring favored Owen. “Hey, buddy,” she whispered, praying none of his siblings chose that moment to come up the stairs. “Good morning.”

“Hey,” Angus mumbled, blinking at her with one eye. “G'd morn'ng.”

He didn't say anything further and Arizona edged toward the stairs and her escape. Gus followed her but still said nothing, watching from the top as she overstepped the squeaking board and retreated. He was smiling at her when Arizona reached the bottom, waved when she looked up and shot him a thumbs up and a dimpled grin.

As she was shutting the door behind her Arizona heard Callie from the kitchen, “Hey, Gavin, where's your brother?”


	15. Chapter 15

The morning meeting was normally a quick affair, touching base with their nearly ego maniacal leader and getting on with their work of saving lives. It was a strange scene to walk in to see all of their compatriots lining the walls of the conference room instead of seated and waiting for Ellis Grey to make her appearance. Today all of the chairs at the table were occupied by the newly minted first year Attendings.

“What's going on in here?” Callie asked, leaning over to whisper to Addison.

She shrugged, not really sure herself. “They were all just sitting there when we came in.”

“Well, screw that,” declared Arizona at normal volume, spinning her chair around with a single jerk on the back and handily interrupting her fellow's conversation. “Karev, you're in my seat.” 

Alex Karev jumped up immediately, straightening his glasses as he held the chair for her. On the other side of the table Charles Percy abandoned Derek Shepherd's chair only a half second later, stumbling over the chair's base. The other residents looked undecided about giving up their chairs, Meredith Webber smiling up at her father as Richard stepped up behind her and waited patiently for his wife. Cristina and Callie eyed each other for a long moment but neither moved. Cristina had softened up since she'd become friends with Meredith, but she was still fairly scary.

Ellis breezed in a moment later without a second glance at the awkwardly lingering surgeons and their proteges that were filling the seats at the table. “Ah, good, everyone's here. We can get started.” Her seat was empty and she took her chair as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. “Dr. Robbins, what's the status on our conjoined twin surgery?”

Arizona pulled her notes up without missing a beat. “Everything's ready, everyone's prepped, and the patients will be arriving later today.”

“Actually, they're not,” Ellis corrected her, drawing every eye in the room. “Seattle Grace is the preeminent teaching hospital in the country. Our fellowship level surgeons are comparable to other hospitals' second tier teachers.” The seated residents looked pleased with themselves while their mentors all waited for the other shoe to drop. Ellis Grey wasn't the type to bestow compliments on people she saw as beneath her. “They're prepped for the procedure, so we will be sending them to Boise.”

It got a reaction from the rest of the gathered surgeons. “Whoa, _no, **what**_?!”

“Dr. Grey, all due respect,” Arizona said, standing up to take the lead. This was her case, and she trusted Alex Karev, she'd trained him, coached him for this surgery even, but this was _her_ procedure.

“This is not a discussion, Dr. Robbins,” Ellis cut her off. “They've been trained by the best. The best surgeons come from Seattle Grace.”

“This is not a typical procedure,” countered Arizona stubbornly. She could feel the others' eyes on her, Alex standing behind her with his arms crossing his chest. She wasn't going to let Ellis Grey risk patients' lives because it was better press for her hospital to send untested surgeons to a smaller hospital as some kind of gesture of benevolence.

“Dr. Karev, are you prepared for this surgery?” Bypassing her Head of Peds, Ellis spoke directly to her student.

He hesitated, glancing around the room before his gaze locked with Arizona's. They held the contact for a tense moment before he looked away, giving Ellis a firm, confident nod. “Yes, ma'am, I am.”

“Very well then,” she declared, the tone in her voice declaring the matter finished. “Dr. Karev will be going for Peds; Dr. Percy, Neuro; Dr. Avery, Plastics; Dr. Yang, Cardio; and Dr. Kepner, General,” she recited the assignments. “Your plane leaves tonight at ten.” She glanced at Owen suddenly. “Dr. Hunt, are you still riding along?”

He nodded, his jaw squared. “Yes, ma'am.” Callie blinked in surprise, furrowing her brow at him.

“Alright.” She nodded brusquely, clearly already moving along to the next thing in her mental agenda. “Then let's get to work.” Arizona wasn't done arguing with her, following her out and leaving Callie to question Owen.

He was expecting it though, ready for her questions in a way they both felt sure Ellis was not prepared to be questioned by a frustrated Arizona. “You're not on the team for the twin surgery,” she said, knowing it for sure because she had just been replaced on the twin surgery. “You're going to see Teddy.”

“Yes,” he agreed slowly, keeping his voice down as their coworkers filtered out of the room. Teddy had offered to come to Seattle, get a look around the first rate hospital where he worked, but he'd wanted a neutral location for their first face to face in so long. Callie was in Seattle. It was his kids' home. He looked tense, every muscle tight, and Callie led him to the table with a hand on his arm, pushing him lightly to sit. “Callie...”

“Are you ready for this?” she asked, not judging him but genuinely concerned. She wanted him to be okay, for his own sake and for the sake of their children. He nodded, still tense. It wasn't the same way she'd seen him stressed before though. He wasn't struggling to keep from snapping. He was nervous, she realized in shock. She hadn't seen him actually nervous since the twins were newborns. “Aww, Owen,” she sighed, dropping to sit on the edge of the table beside his seat. “It's going to be okay.”

“You don't know that,” he countered, head shaking. “I screw things up, Callie. That's what I do.” He looked up at her and his blue eyes were pained. “I screwed you up.”

Remaining silent for a moment Callie swallowed the lump in her throat. “Owen, we didn't do each other any favors,” she admitted. “But I'm not broken.” A big part of that had been getting out of the relationship when she had. But Owen was a different person now, had been working his ass off to be better, working through his issues instead of rigidly controlling himself. “I'm better now. So are you.” She gave him an encouraging smile. “From everything you told me about her Teddy's tough. You're not going to break her.”

The complete sincerity in her face made him stand up, scrubbing a hand through his short hair. “Thank you, Callie.” It was something he'd needed to hear, and hearing from her made a bigger difference than hearing it from someone else.

“Do you need a ride to the airport?”

Owen shook his head, leaning against the table beside his ex-wife. “Thanks, but no. My bag's in my locker and I'm just going to ride with the surgical team.”

Scoffing lightly, Callie bumped his elbow with hers. “Maybe you and Teddy can step in if they screw something up.”

He laughed, the pair of them grinning sideways at each other. They'd been good when they were casual like this, joking around and making each other laugh. Callie felt a stab of relief that maybe they could get this back. “She's Cardio, you know,” he commented.

“Another thing we have in common,” Callie teased back, elbowing him again lightly.

“I'm not sure Yang will be the one on that team to screw up is what I mean,” said Owen, shaking his head at her with a fond smile.

“Not with me as her teacher!” Callie declared confidently, head tossing. “If I was one to bet against another surgeon I'd put my money on Percy.” Owen's bark of laughter was loud, freer than she'd heard him in... years. It was nice.

“I'll take that bet,” he said, offering a hand to shake on it.

“Twenty bucks?”

“Loser hosts the next play date,” he upped the stakes with a smirk.

Callie didn't blink, matching his smirk with her own. “You're on.” She shook his hand firmly. “Let me know when you're coming home and I'll set something up.”

“I'm sure you'll have a great time with that,” Owen shot back. They could have been such good friends if things had happened differently. Maybe they could still be friends in the future. His smile softened from teasing to friendly. “I should be home by the middle of the week next week.” The surgery would only take a day but Teddy was on leave for longer than that. “If it's any later than Wednesday...”

“Don't worry,” Callie said quietly. “I can take care of the kids for a week.” It wasn't her first time doing it alone. She didn't say that aloud though. He knew it as well as she did. “You do what you need to do, Owen.”

Sighing, he pushed himself to his feet. “Thank you, Callie.” Turning to face her, he leaned in to drop a kiss on her cheek. “Really.” There was so much more he could say to her but she could see it all in his face. For years they'd had nothing to say to each other and now he couldn't find the words for everything he wanted to tell her.

“I know,” Callie confirmed, nodding. “Have a good trip.”

He gave her a smile and nodded back. “I'll see you next week.”

Arizona was still fuming when Callie found her, poring over Alex's notes at the desk on the Pediatric floor. “You look busy,” Callie commented as she sidled up beside her. “Trying to find somewhere he made a mistake?”

Arizona spared her a sidelong glance. “You're not pissed that Grey stole our surgery and gave it to children?” she asked incredulously. “I don't believe that.”

Shrugging, Callie leaned back on the counter on her elbows. “I'm not worried about Yang,” she said confidently. “And you've got nothing to worry about with Karev. Me and Owen are betting on it being Percy.” Arizona sent her a disapproving look. “No one's going to screw up, Arizona. Percy will be the one to drop a clamp, that's all.”

“Everything okay with Owen? Did Grey say he was going with them?” Arizona asked, still perusing Alex's charts fruitlessly for any errors. She'd trained him too well.

“He's riding on their flight to Boise,” answered Callie. “To go meet Teddy.”

Arizona's head popped up, her eyes checking on her girlfriend. “Are you okay?”

“Sure,” Callie said easily, smiling reassuringly to Arizona. “I get a few extra days with the kids this weekend.” She nudged her knee against Arizona's leg. “Maybe we could have a game night Saturday? You, me, and the kids?”

Arizona smirked, relieved by Callie's calm. “As long as we can play Twister I'm in.” Laughing, Callie bumped into her again lightly. “Am I sneaking in tonight or should I just stay at my place?”

Callie was never going to opt for spending the night alone, not now that she knew what it was like sleeping beside her. “How about you just come over for dinner?” she offered instead. “The kids will be home but we told them you were going to be around more.”

She would have questioned it but Callie seemed supremely calm and confident. “Are you cooking?” Callie just smiled at her as if she was without a care in the world. “I can be there by six thirty.”

Callie sent her a wink and pushed herself off the counter. “I'll see you then, Dr. Robbins.” They weren't hiding their relationship at work, and there was no rule against it, but Ellis frowned on any kind of affectionate displays in her hospital. Arizona jumped when Callie swatted her ass, leaning in to breathe directly into her ear. “Don't take it out on Karev because we're not getting hotel sex tonight. I'll make it up to you.”

Arizona grinned at her paperwork as Callie left her for the Cardio wing. The elevator dinged down the hall and she turned in that direction, determined to find Alex Karev and grill his ass on scenarios for what was now his surgery. He stepped off the elevator before she could take a step toward finding him. 

“I know you're pissed, boss, but -”

He shut up immediately when Arizona shook her head and started walking, Alex falling into step with her on instinct. “You're going to go through _every_ possibility for this procedure with me or you will _not_ being preforming it, do you understand me?” They turned the corner toward the skills lab. She'd keep him in there all day if she had to.

“Yes, ma'am.”

Arizona was every bit as good a teacher as she'd known she was and Alex Karev was no slouching student, handling every hypothetical she gave him until it was time for him to get to the airport. “You can do this,” she reminded him again as she walked him outside.

“I know,” Alex said, smirking confidently. “I think you're late for your date now.” She never told him when she had dates but somehow he always knew.

Arizona ignored him even though he was right. She should have left the hospital by now. Callie would understand though. Her girlfriend knew how much work she'd put into arranging this whole thing. Ellis taking it out of her hands didn't mean that she wouldn't see it through. “If anything happens in there and you need to call me I'll have my phone on all day, okay?”

“It's going to be fine.” Alex was still smirking at her. “You go get laid.”

Arizona's blue gaze went pointed and narrow. Sometimes she appreciated the unspoken rule about not being too personal at work. “Watch yourself, Dr. Karev. Dr. Grey thinks you're good enough to handle this, and you are good, but you're not irreplaceable. I have a list of applicants to the program as long as your arm. Remember that.”

He sobered, nodding. “Yes, ma'am.”

“Goodnight, Dr. Karev. Have a good flight.” There was no need to admonish him about the surgery again. He would do it right. And she was going to take advantage of her free night. Callie sent her a text as she was turning onto her street that the front door was open and to come on in whenever she was done whipping Karev's ass into shape. Arizona couldn't fight her grin. Callie knew her so well.

The door opened to the sound of laughter and shrieking, Allegra in hot pursuit of Gavin as Arizona let herself in. Gus was last in line but stopped chasing them as soon as he saw her, holding both hands up to be picked up instead. “Hey,” he greeted her cheerfully, glad to see her.

“Hey, bud,” Arizona said with a smile, already able to smell dinner on the air. “What'd Gavin do?”

He shrugged, sitting on her hip and letting Arizona carry him toward the kitchen. “Pulled her hair?”

From the other room Callie raised her voice, “Hey! You two stop running, _now_!” Her tone softened. “Gus, where'd you go? It's time to eat.”

“I'm here!” Angus called back even as he and Arizona reached the kitchen. “Arizona's here too. Can she eat supper with us?”

“That's why I'm here,” Arizona answered, smiling at Callie and bouncing the little boy on her hip.

“Perfect timing,” Callie said, rounding the table to lift her son out of her girlfriend's arms. “We're just about to sit down.” Leaning over, she dropped a kiss on Arizona's cheek. “Did everyone get to the airport alright?”

“Yeah, they were heading out when I left work,” answered Arizona. “Can I do anything?”

“Just sit your cute butt down,” said Callie with a wink, both of them ignoring the 'oohs' of the kids. “What's everybody want to drink?” she asked as she deposited Angus in his seat.

Callie somehow interpreted the jumbled chorus of answers she got without blinking, giving everyone their cups without mixing anyone up. Arizona smirked when the only options were water and juice. They'd finished off the beer last time she'd been over here. Allegra was happy when Arizona requested apple juice, the same thing she had to drink. “Thank you,” hummed Arizona as Callie handed her the glass.

“Can we watch a movie with Arizona after supper?” asked Allegra, wanting to get her bid in for plans for the night before Callie could tell them that Arizona was leaving after they ate.

“Sure,” Callie assented, privately relieved that she could do something to make Allegra happy. Since they'd told them about the separation it felt like she'd only done things to disappoint her daughter. “Arizona can spend the night if she wants to.”

All three little faces lit up and there was no way Arizona could deny them. “Yeah, okay,” she said slowly.

“So we can put on our jammies and watch the movie!” Allegra declared eagerly.

“If you want,” Callie agreed again. “But if you want to do that then it's time for baths right after dinner, okay?”

“Yes, ma'am.” It was the most respectful tone Allegra had used with her in months and Callie smiled.

“Can Daddy come too?” Gus asked innocently, poking up a macaroni noodle on his fork but it dropped back onto his plate before he could get it to his mouth. He did it again, not bothered by the repetition.

Callie did trip up on that request, her eyes shooting up to Arizona across the table, mouth moving without a sound coming out. “Your dad is going on his trip tonight or I'm sure he would love that,” Arizona interjected smoothly.

“Could we have a spend the night with Daddy _and_ Arizona when he's home?” asked Gus, still endeavoring to spear a bite of homemade mac and cheese.

Callie exchanged another look with Arizona. The blonde shrugged minutely. There was no way she was answering that one for her girlfriend. “We'll see about that, little man. Do you want some help with your macaroni?”

“No, thank you. Can Arizona cut my corn off for me?” he requested politely, turning a goofy grin at the woman sitting beside him.

The three were so excited that they all seemed to eat more quickly that normal, Callie having to tell each of them more than once to slow down before they choked. They didn't even complain about having to go right upstairs for their baths, leaving Callie behind in the kitchen. Arizona stood up from the table to help with the dishes, one hand sliding across Callie's back as she sidled up beside her at the sink with the last of the plates. “I can do this if you want to make sure there's no flooding upstairs.”

“Arizona -”

“Hey, let me do the dishes. I'm a guest,” Arizona reasoned. “I don't think I have any pajamas here anyway.” Mostly when she slept here she wasn't wearing much by the time they fell asleep. “And you've got to get them all changed for the pajama party.”

“I'll find something for you to wear.” Callie smiled as she stepped aside, catching Arizona by the belt and tugging her so that they collided lightly. “You know you don't have to do this.” Her kids were cute, really hard to deny, and she knew it better than anyone. She didn't want Arizona pressured into anything she didn't want to do.

Arizona sighed, looping both arms over her lover's shoulders. “They don't bite anymore, do they?” Callie smiled, her head shaking from side to side. “Then don't worry about me.”

“You're not here for them, I know that.”

“I don't hate your children, Callie,” Arizona interjected. “And I don't loathe the idea of getting to know them some.” She smiled encouragingly, rising up on her toes to kiss her softly on the lips. “They're sweet. Like their mom.” Callie's smile went soft, loving. “And I am completely crazy about their mom, you understand?”

There was a loud splash and giggles from above them and Callie rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “Thank you,” she said earnestly, kissing Arizona again more firmly before she stepped back and rushed upstairs to check on the kids.

They picked a movie while Arizona changed clothes in Callie's room, Callie not objecting to their Disney choice despite having seen it a hundred times since she was pretty sure she'd seen _Pocahontas_ on the shelf at Arizona’s apartment. There was a commotion when Arizona rejoined them, all three of the kids clamoring for her to sit with each of them.

“I think she's with me tonight, guys,” Callie announced over them, crooking one finger at her girlfriend and patting the couch cushion beside her.

Arizona smiled and winked to Allegra. “She's the boss.” She'd barely sat down and gotten under the throw with Callie before the twins had scrambled up on either side of her, Gus squeezing into the space between the two women. He didn't fuss when Callie shifted him into her own lap and Arizona slipped closer, exchanging secret smiles over his head. Left out, Allegra's eyes were downcast and she started to sit on the floor. “Hey,” Arizona said quickly, “What are you doing? Come here,” she requested, holding her arm open and lifting the blanket to let Allegra sit in her lap.

In the dimness Callie smiled as her children all snuggled in, the movie starting on the screen. She didn't watch, content to rest her head on Arizona's shoulder and bask in exactly how perfect her life was at this moment.


	16. Chapter 16

The hospital seemed to be buzzing the next day, the workload in Peds heavier since one of the more talented surgeons was absent. Arizona was in the OR more as a result, leaving her feeling the sharp contrast between her usual surgical schedule with bursts of paperwork throughout the day – especially in her calves, which were sore by lunch. She hadn't realized how much time she spent in her office these days. She'd have to start hitting the gym. Maybe Callie would come workout with her, though. And she could watch her girlfriend jog on a treadmill in some ridiculously short shorts that made her hot and simultaneously smug and insane with jealousy if anyone else looked at her.

Thinking of Callie (and recognizing exactly how warm her little moment of fantasizing had her) made Arizona realize that she hadn't actually seen her girlfriend since they'd arrived at work that morning. Callie wasn't in their lounge, or on the surgical board, or answering her texts. Ellis frowned on her doctors paging each other for personal reasons (and she would be scandalized to learn how often her daughter and Head of Neuro disregarded that policy) so Arizona resisted the urge to do so herself and caught an elevator down toward the ER.

“I heard it crashed.” Two nurses were talking as she entered, busy with her phone and missing the sidelong glances she was getting. The conversation ended abruptly and Callie still wasn't answering so it became harder to ignore the obvious silence.

“Is it busy in the ER?” Arizona asked to break the quiet. Of course today _would_ be a busy day, with the sixth years in nearly every department and the Head of Trauma out of the state. The nurses just stared at her as if she was speaking French. “Didn't you just say something had crashed?” she tried to clarify herself. “Is it still incoming?”

The strange staring continued until the shorter nurse pushed her friend forward. “You didn't hear yet?” she blurted, shooting a dirty look at her cowering coworker. Arizona just frowned. Except for scheduled procedures she'd taken over for Alex her pager had been silent all day. “The hospital in Idaho called this morning. The plane never landed.” She shifted her weight between her feet as Arizona's mouth fell open. “That's what I heard, anyway,” she quickly added, not wanting to face either Arizona or Ellis' fury if the rumor she'd heard turned out to be wrong.

Now it felt like _they_ were speaking French, Arizona's mind hazy. The plane hadn't arrived in Boise? The flight she should have been on? The flight _Callie_ should have been on? The plane Owen _had_ been on? And Alex? Her head felt like it was pounding to the beat of her suddenly racing heart. Ellis would know one way or another what was going on. She jammed the button for the third floor even as the doors opened on the ER floor, the two nurses darting through the opening before Arizona could close the doors.

The Chief of Surgery's door was open when she charged out of the elevator. Arizona heard the conversation before she crossed the catwalk, catching sight of Callie slumped in a chair in front of their boss' desk. It was all the confirmation she needed. Ellis was on the phone and yelling at someone, audible from the hall. Her heart nearly broke at the sight of Callie's despair as she came into the room, her girlfriend slouched in a chair at the desk, face buried in her hands. Richard saw her first, his expression tight with worry, and he shook his head minutely.

Arizona wasn't sure what to do first but the devastation in Callie's position made her decision for her, crossing the small room in two steps and wrapping both arms around her girlfriend. Still seated, Callie's head was pressed into her middle but neither one cared, Callie turning into her and hanging on tight. Ellis and Richard were looking at them now, Meredith sitting on the floor against the wall of windows behind her parents and staring listlessly at the desk. “What's the situation?” Arizona asked, unconsciously rubbing the top of Callie's back.

Ellis was still on the phone, though she had lowered her volume, so Richard spoke up. “Boise Memorial called this morning when the flight didn't land on time. SeaTac tells us that they took off last night at ten but they haven't been able to reach them.” He sighed, looking sympathetically at Callie. “We've called our people's families, but Dr. Karev -”

“His mother is institutionalized,” Arizona finished knowingly, nodding. “I think I've got a number for his brother. I'll get it for you.” One hand scrolled though her phone, finding the contact she needed and sending it to his email. Callie wasn't crying but her anxiety was in every line of her body as she leaned into Arizona. “They haven't found the plane?”

“Not yet,” he said soberly. “Search and Rescue has gotten delayed by the same storm they think brought the plane down.” He inclined his head toward his wife on the phone. That must be who she was talking to.

“How long do they think it'll be before they can go back out?” Arizona asked. No one was questioning why she was there, why she'd taken the lead from Callie. Or maybe Callie had already asked these questions, she didn’t know. If Ellis had been somehow unaware that they were together, not just having an affair, she knew for sure now.

“A few hours,” Richard sighed regretfully. “At the earliest.”

“I want to take Dr. Torres home,” Arizona told him. “There's nothing she can do here, and the kids -”

Callie's head shot up, her eyes wide and panicked. “Oh God,” she gasped. Her children were downstairs in daycare with no clue that their father was missing, could be dead.

“We don't know anything yet, Callie,” Arizona said immediately. “There's no reason to scare them until we know something.” Callie wasn't looking at her, wasn't hearing anything anyone was saying. Kneeling to her level, Arizona caught her face in both hands. She didn't say anything though, just met her eyes steadily.

Callie knew she was swimming, drowning, floating, falling. It still felt like a bad dream. Owen couldn't be missing, couldn't be _dead_. She forced herself to focus on Arizona, blue eyes drawing her in, thumbs making light, gentle circles on her jaw. A deep breath helped her settle herself and she nodded. 

Arizona didn't excuse them, making steady eye contact with Webber until he nodded in confirmation. As soon as he knew anything, they'd know it too. Slipping an arm around her girlfriend Arizona escorted her out of the office.

They didn't get far before Callie dragged them to a stop in the hall. “I can't leave.” Arizona’s brows dropped. “I can't stay here, but I can't leave. And I can't see the kids. They'll know something's wrong if I get them out in the middle of the day.” Arizona was supposed to be working, saving children's lives. If Callie felt stronger she'd insist that her girlfriend go back to work. But she wasn't, and she didn't.

“Okay. We'll do anything you need to do,” Arizona promised, taking another moment to see for herself that Callie was alright before she gently coaxed her to start walking again. They couldn't go to the daycare, probably shouldn't leave the hospital, but she couldn't just sit in that room and listen to Ellis motivate Search and Rescue or attempt to change the weather through sheer force of will. If anyone could do it, it was that woman. Until she worked her will on nature though, Arizona had to keep Callie calm and distracted.

Callie didn't resist when Arizona led her into an on-call room, just sighing. “Arizona, I -”

“It's not about anything like that,” Arizona cut her off gently. “I just want to sit with you.”

“Can we lay down?” requested Callie, her voice scarcely audible. She felt like she could explode, needed Arizona to hold her together.

“Of course.” Arizona stretched out slowly, breathing out when Callie crawled into her arms. The dark head buried in her chest nearly broke her heart. “Okay?”

Callie didn't answer for the space of several heartbeats, breathing steadily against Arizona's shoulder. “Was your brother ever missing before he died?” It was insensitive, she knew that, but she couldn't help herself. She wasn't going to be able to stop worrying about Owen.

Swallowing the hard lump in her chest that always showed up when she had to talk about Tim, Arizona shook her head. “No. He just died. The convoy he was with ran over an IED.” She knew why Callie was asking though, couldn't take it personally. Her girlfriend needed something from her right now. If talking about Tim helped her then Arizona would do it. “I'm so sorry, Callie,” she whispered.

“He shouldn't have been on that plane.” Callie was quiet, not moving or lifting her head. “He just wanted to see Teddy, and he wanted to do it in a way that was okay for him, to make sure he was going to come through it okay.”

“You can't do this,” Arizona interjected softly. “I did that after Tim died. We can't think about hypotheticals. If Ellis hadn't changed the plan last minute you would have been on the plane. And me. And Owen, if he'd still been going out of town this week. Or the family of the twins could have been on it coming here -”

“Stop.” Callie leaned her head back so she could see Arizona's eyes. “Okay. I get it. Anything could have happened.” Her next breath was shaky. “But Arizona, this _is_ happening. Your brother **died**.” Arizona didn't wince or cringe but her jaw tightened, her eyes suddenly distant. Callie couldn't apologize, however. There were no words to assuage grief like that. “Owen could be dead.”

“We don't know what's happening yet,” Arizona insisted. They couldn't focus on the worst case scenario or Callie would go crazy.

“He's missing,” countered Callie. She couldn't afford the luxury of hopefulness when she might have to tell her children that their father was dead.

“They'll find them.” Arizona was determined to keep her neutrality. She tried to be a positive person generally. Life wasn't always terrible. She and Callie had found each other, after all. They were together, despite everything that could have kept them apart. However it had looked from outside Owen had never been her rival, or an obstacle to her relationship with Callie. She had to hope they would find him, alive.

“How are you doing?” Arizona just blinked, not sure why her well-being was coming up. Callie was the one in distress. “Alex is on the plane too,” she reminded her girlfriend. Arizona had set her sights on Alex Karev early in the younger surgeon's second year, trained him up herself, fostering his talent and watching him thrive. For years he'd been her only workplace relationship that went beyond mere casual acquaintance. Losing him would affect Arizona, even if she wouldn't admit to it.

Arizona breathed deep, shaking her head minutely. She couldn't talk about Alex, not when Callie might be losing her husband, the father of her children. “Don't worry about me. I'm fine.”

Chewing on her bottom lip, Callie reached up to brush blonde hair back with two fingers. “I'm sorry I brought up your brother like that,” she whispered. “That wasn't fair, blindsiding you with it that way.”

“It's okay,” Arizona told her.

“It's not,” Callie denied, brows furrowing. They were close on the narrow mattress, faces only inches apart. They were close enough that their chests pressed together as they breathed, unconsciously falling into the same rhythm. “I'm sorry.” She shifted forward to kiss her lips lightly. “I know how much your brother means to you and I would never hurt you with that.”

“I know that,” whispered Arizona, initiating the next soft kiss herself. Callie loved her, would never hurt her on purpose. “What can I do? I want to help you.”

Callie sighed, her eyes closing. “Keep holding me for starters,” she requested. “Come home with me tonight. Help me distract the kids. Help distract _me_.”

Leaning forward Arizona pressed her lips to Callie's forehead. “I can handle that.” She wasn't sure how she'd do it but she was determined to try.

Silence fell, just the sound of their breathing filling the room until Arizona's phone buzzed. She checked the display, holding her breath unconsciously as she read. “What does it say?” Callie asked, her eyes squeezed closed in anticipation.

A heavy sigh was her answer. “The storm is too bad. They don't think they can make it back out tonight.” She hesitated, sending a quick text back to Dr. Webber before she put the phone down. “What do you want to do?”

Callie's eyes were still closed tight, her head pounding. “We might as well go home, right?”

“Okay,” Arizona agreed slowly.

It took them both a few minutes to start moving though. Gaining momentum, motivation, was hard when the most optimistic thing they were moving toward was that several of their coworkers, people they cared about, were missing with little hope of being found, getting help, for at least the next eight hours. There was no doubt that Ellis Grey would have every available person searching the mountains for her people at first light.

That left them eight hours to get through in the meantime. Eight hours to burn while Callie waited in agony, eight hours to hide their worry from the kids. Arizona took the lead again, a hand on Callie's back to walk her out. 

Callie clearly had coping skills Arizona hadn't counted on though, the smile she pasted on enough to fool her children as they entered the daycare. If Arizona didn't know her so well she'd have no clue that something was desperately wrong. How many years had they worked together with no one having a clue that anything was wrong in the Torres-Hunt household?

“Hey, guys!” Callie was putting on a good show but Arizona could see the tension in her shoulders, the tiny lines at the corners of her eyes. “Who's ready to go home?”

“Game night?” Allegra asked eagerly when she saw Arizona, remembering the mention of games the last night her mother's girlfriend had been over.

Arizona had to force a smile herself, sure that she wasn't as convincing as Callie, even though she frequently faked being cheerful for the sick kids in her ward. “Sure, sweetie. That sounds great!”

“Can we call Daddy?” Gus asked innocently, taking Arizona's hand and shattering Callie's heart.

Eyes met over the children's head, Callie mouth a stiff line as she struggled to choke back emotion. “Um, maybe, bud,” Arizona stepped in, aching to take Callie into her arms and wipe the pain from her face. Instead she hiked Angus onto her hip. “He's had a long day. Your dad's tired.”

“It's his bedtime?” he asked curiously, taking it as truth when Arizona nodded, choked up herself as she looked into ice blue eyes that had been inherited from Owen Hunt. “Okay. We can call him tomorrow.”

If only it was that simple.

Watching Callie cook dinner, entertain the kids, it was incredible in an almost morbid way. Her facade never cracked, didn't crumble beneath the immense pressure she was under. Arizona had always respected the other woman – first as her colleague, then as her friend – but this was something else. It was impressive and it broke her heart. Because it was obvious to her, if to no one else, that this was how Callie had adapted to her life at home after Owen's return from Iraq. But it hadn't been obvious before, before she'd gotten inside Callie's life, into her heart. Now she almost couldn't look away. Callie was vibrant, spontaneous, passionate. This was a shadow of that woman she'd gotten to know – quiet, shut down, emotionless.

It was about coping, Arizona knew that. Callie had to keep things together for her children. She couldn't afford to show how she scared she really was. But Arizona couldn't help the aching knot in her stomach, fearing the morning and whatever news it brought, and she was sure the children could see it.

Their distraction played in the kids' favor at their games, neither woman able to concentrate enough to actually put effort into winning. Allegra stayed to help Arizona pack their game up when they arrived at bedtime while Callie got the boys in the bath. Both were quiet while they straightened up the living room, Arizona taking a seat as she finished replacing the coffee table.

“Arizona?” Her name made her look up, not realizing that she'd dropped her head into her hands, elbows on her knees.

“Yeah, Legs, what's up?” The nickname could normally get her a smile but right now the most she got was a twitch of her lips.

“What's wrong?” Arizona frowned, leaning back. She could make kids with cancer laugh, keep them smiling, but couldn't fool her girlfriend's five year old for one night. “Mommy's all quiet. Like she was before.”

The idea that Allegra had noticed the changes in her mother over the last few months made something in Arizona's gut twist. Because as unhappy as the little girl had been about her parents' divorce, she'd still seen how much happier her mom was now. Callie couldn't fake it anymore, not even for a handful of hours. Arizona wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad one.

“Sweetheart...” She couldn't tell her. There was no way Arizona could actually tell her that Owen was missing, that his plane had gone down in the mountains. But part of why she was so good at her job was the fact that she generally shot pretty straight with the kids in her care. She couldn't open her mouth and say it though.

“Nobody tells me anything,” Allegra said with a heavy sigh. A child that young shouldn't be able to sigh that big. Arizona couldn't tell her for just that reason. Whichever way this turned out, it wasn't a burden she could put on Allegra, not yet.

“Come here,” she said instead, opening her arms. All she could do was rock her and try not to think of what the morning might bring. Allegra tried to resist sleep but was dragged under gradually, long limbs going heavy and limp as Arizona stood up, holding her with one arm, her hand on the little girl's back. Callie was settling the boys down and Arizona carried her burden into the bedroom across the hall. Thin arms clung to her neck when Arizona tried to put her down and she had to duck her head to get free.

Callie met her in the hall and mustered a weak, tired smile. “Thank you for doing that.” Arizona nodded, her eyes scanning her face. “Did she give you any trouble?” she asked in a whisper. Arizona was worried about her, she knew that. There was nothing they could do about it though, not until Owen was found.

“Not at all,” Arizona answered. “She asked me what was wrong, though.” Callie twitched, surprised. Arizona sighed and reached out a hand for Callie's. “She noticed that you're quiet tonight.” Callie's eyes closed and she breathed in deeply. “Do you want to go to bed?”

“I don't think I can sleep.”

Arizona could understand that. She couldn't sleep either. But pacing the house all night wouldn't do anyone any good. “We'll just lay down.”

“Not yet,” Callie whispered, taking Arizona's hand and guiding her back down the stairs. Arizona went along willingly, clicking on the news and lowering the volume while Callie went to sort through the mail. It was a bad habit, but she never went through it, left it sitting in an ever growing pile for weeks at a time. Owen was always the one who'd meticulously sorted it out on a daily basis. She had the bills automatically drawn out, checked her bank account on the computer, and the rest of it could just wait until she had the time to get to it. Owen had a few catalogs in the pile, more than a few bits of junk mail in either of their names, the last of the newspapers Owen insisted they subscribe to that had come here before he'd changed the delivery to his new address, and a large manilla envelope that had just her name on the front, their lawyer's office listed as the return address and a postmark dated more than a month earlier. Setting the rest of it aside Callie opened the envelope and peeked inside without reading the words.

Their divorce had been finalized. She was no longer married to Owen Hunt.

It triggered everything she'd been trying to restrain breaking free. A choking, bitter laugh became a hoarse sob. Tears burned trails down her face as she cried brokenly. Arizona was there a few moments later, not speaking, making no promises, just sliding both arms around her from behind and standing with her as she crumbled and broke.


	17. Chapter 17

 It was another half a day before the plane was found, six hours beyond that before they were out of the woods and on their way to Boise. Callie and Arizona were both at work, though Ellis had restricted each to paperwork only. She came herself to find them, poking her head into their lounge and interrupting the tense silence. “Dr. Torres, could we?”

“Just tell me, Ellis,” Callie requested wearily, pushing herself to her feet.

“The survivors are en route to Boise Memorial,” Dr. Grey reported briskly without even a glance toward Arizona.

Callie's eyes closed. “How many casualties?” Arizona asked when it became clear that Callie couldn't speak the words.

“One so far,” Ellis told her, gaze moving slowly between the two. “Charles Percy.”

Callie looked up, dark eyes wide. “So Owen isn't -?”

Their Chief of Surgery's face softened sympathetically but she didn't smile. “He's alive. But he's critical.”

“I'm going. To Boise, I'm going.” There was no arguing with the tone in Callie's voice and Ellis nodded.

Arizona cleared her throat but Callie was already mentally gone, planning rapidly. “What happened?” Arizona asked hoarsely. “To everyone... Do they know yet?”

Ellis' lips pursed. “Early reports are sketchy at best. Everyone is scraped up but we heard Yang had a dislocated shoulder, Kepner a laceration on her thigh, neither serious.”

“What about Alex?” Arizona asked, anxiety getting the better of her patience. “Dr. Karev?”

The older woman's lips tightened. “His femur was badly broken in the crash. It's not good.” Her face fell further. “And Dr. Avery's hand is injured.” In her world the son of Catherine Avery's precious surgical hands were worth infinitely more than a Peds fellow's leg. “They'll be in Boise in a few hours and we can get a clearer picture of what's going on.”

“I need to go,” Callie announced again. “Ellis, are you -?”

Their Chief nodded. “I'll make sure the helicopter doesn't leave without you. Meet in my office in an hour.”

“Thank you.” Ellis was gone without saying more and Arizona let out the breath she'd been holding. It still felt unreal, all of it. Percy was dead, the others were hurt, seriously hurt. Callie had her mind focused on Owen, on the injuries that directly affected her family, and Arizona couldn't fault her for that. The rest of it felt like it could wash her away, though. She wasn't close to any of the others in the crash except for Alex, but it was still upsetting that something like this had happened to people they worked with, people she saw in the halls every day.

Arizona was a professional, able to put her emotions aside to do what she needed to do. Which, at this moment, was whatever Callie needed her to do. “Callie, what -?”

Callie was already moving, shifting her weight between her feet, one hand straightening her papers while the other dug for her keys. Both hands were occupied by working a key off the ring before she thought better of it and dropped the whole thing in her palm. “Here.” She handed it to Arizona, distracted by the thoughts going a million miles an hour in her head. “There should be plenty of food in the fridge for tonight, and if I'm going to be gone longer I'll let you know, of course.”

It hadn't been stated aloud, but apparently what Callie needed from her was for her to stay with her kids while she went to Boise to check on their father. Arizona weighed the keys in her hand, holding her breath again. She could handle one night, maybe two with Callie's kids. She liked them, they were good kids, they liked her. It wasn't how she expected to get a key to Callie's house either, but it was a big statement about how much her girlfriend trusted her. Enough to leave her children in her care for at least a day, probably longer. “Oh-kay,” Arizona breathed softly. “I can handle things here.”

Callie blinked, realizing how much she was actually counting on from her girlfriend. “Hey, I'm sorry. I just – I can call Owen's mom if -”

“No,” Arizona interjected softly, her head shaking from side to side. “Owen's mom has got enough to worry about. So do you. I can take care of the kids.” She sighed heavily, palming the key to Callie's house. “You just be careful, okay?” Air travel might still be statistically the safest, but she was sending the woman she loved to deal with the aftermath of a plane crash. “Are you alright?”

Callie took a deep breath. “I love you. Thank you for this. I know I'm just dropping them on you -”

“Don't worry about us,” Arizona cut in again, still gently. “Take care of Owen.”

“I love _you_ ,” Callie repeated, moving around the table and leaving her paperwork momentarily behind. Her hands settled on her girlfriend's hips. “And thank you.” Arizona stepped in a half foot closer. Callie's forehead dropped to her shoulder, the brunette loudly exhaling. “I don't know what I would do without you.”

Combing fingers through dark hair Arizona inhaled. “That's not something you have to worry about,” she whispered. “I'm not going anywhere.” She turned her face into Callie's hair. “Call me when you get there, please.”

“I will.”

“How much do you want me to tell the kids?” Arizona checked. Callie was trusting her to take care of them, and she gave bad news to kids every day at her job, but this situation felt more than a little out of her realm.

Callie's eyes closed. “For now just tell them that I had to work late. We can figure out something else once I get there and know exactly what's going on.” She didn't lift her head, groaning. “I don't think I've ever seen Owen hurt before,” she commented. “Not seriously, at least.” They'd all seen him with minor injuries, the ER occasionally getting rough even before he'd started punching holes in windows. “I don't know if-”

“You can do this,” Arizona whispered, stroking her hair softly. “You're the best at what you do, Calliope. He needs you right now. Maybe more than he ever has.”

Callie straightened and swallowed hard. “No pressure.” Her voice was hoarse, cracked.

Licking her lips Arizona stood on her toes, pressing a chaste kiss to her girlfriend's forehead and lingering for a pair of heartbeats. She sank slowly back onto her heels, the next kiss finding Callie's mouth. The contact stayed light, no time for anything more. “If you need me -” Arizona started, Callie's eyes very close to her own.

“I need you,” Callie confirmed without hesitation. “But I'll call.”

“You better,” Arizona told her with a tiny smile. “I know you need to go.” She made no move to let her go, however, and Callie didn't attempt to get out of her grip.

“I'm going.” Callie remained motionless. “Now.” She didn't move until her phone buzzed on her hip, an impatient nudge from Ellis Grey. Callie finally stepped back with a heavy sigh.

Arizona tried a more reassuring smile. “Let me know what's going on later.”

“You too.” Callie returned her smile weakly, waving two fingers over her shoulder as she left.

Trying to work, Arizona was distracted all day, getting the text from Callie that they'd safely arrived in Boise and were going to be sorting through the mess of injuries. After that focus seemed impossible. It wasn't like she was allowed to operate today anyway. Giving up with a sigh, Arizona gathered the rest of her papers and slung her bag over her shoulder. After today she could use a drink. Or ten.

That wasn't an option tonight, though. Because she was keeping Callie's kids. She pushed the button for the third floor instead of the ground, free hand digging Callie's keys out of her bag. It didn't occur to her until she reached the door that picking up the kids might not be as simple as figuring out whose car seat was whose. The daycare's staff wouldn't let them go with just anyone, and with the rush Callie had been in it would be a surprise if getting Arizona on the list had slipped her mind.

Arizona couldn't exactly call Callie up though and get the whole thing straightened out over the phone, not with what Callie was dealing with in Boise. She'd just have to convince them that she wasn't trying to kidnap a coworker's children. “Hi.” That was a good start, simple. “I'm here about Dr. Torres' kids...”

The nurse on duty just smiled, nowhere near as suspicious as Arizona had expected. “Of course. Let me just -” She scanned a list on her screen. “Here you are.” She turned on her rotating chair. “Allegra, Gavin, Gus, Dr. Robbins is here to pick you up. Get your bags, please.”

The kids seemed to think nothing of the change in plans, all three excitedly scurrying to gather their things and race to the door. Gavin succeeded in beating his siblings but Owen Hunt's son held the door for the other two even as he grinned eagerly at Arizona. “Hey, guys. You have a good day?” she asked, reaching over his head to help with the door.

“Yeah! Are we sleeping over at your house?!” Gavin asked, speaking over anything the others might have said.

“Um, no, but I'm going to stay at your house tonight,” Arizona answered him. She felt nervous, waiting for the next question to be one she couldn't answer.

“Awesome!” Gavin's grin was across his entire face. He had Callie's smile. Of course, Arizona wasn't sure she'd ever seen Hunt smile.

“Where's Mommy?” Gus chimed in, his backpack sliding off of his shoulder and almost dragging the ground.

“Your mom's got to work late so she asked me to hang out with you guys. Is that alright?” Arizona felt apprehensive, waiting for distrust or suspicion from the three. They were going to figure out that she was lying to them, that she was hiding something. There was nothing but happy eagerness, blind trust. They were wriggling like puppies as they seemed to revolve around her legs while they all walked toward the exit.

The ride was full of chatter, no one the least bit suspicious about why they were spending the night with Arizona, just relieved that they weren't going to have to be extra quiet at their grandmother's house – their usual fallback when both parents had to work. “Can we have pizza for dinner?” Allegra asked, spotting the sign through the window and shooting for the moon.

Arizona's culinary expertise was more geared toward keeping herself alive and the occasional dessert designed to get a woman's pants off, nothing suitable for sustaining three children, so she agreed immediately, quietly grateful for the suggestion, and turned in.

Thankfully Callie's children had been taught very well how to act in public, something Arizona hadn't even considered until Gavin was already loose from his seat and scrambling out of the car. He just stood close beside the door though, waiting while she unhooked his brother, Allegra more than capable of setting herself free. They all held hands in the parking lot and filed in while Arizona held the door, privately marveling at how well behaved the three were.

Allegra helped her with two booster seats for the boys without being asked, Arizona leading them to a table with a nod toward the hostess. “Okay, here we go.” They climbed into their seats and she distributed place mats and crayons. “Figure out what you want to eat before you get too into that, okay?” Arizona directed. She felt stressed, more nervous about getting three kids through dinner than she'd been in her OR in years. They were fine though, laughing and coloring and caring not at all that their caregiver felt like she had no idea what she was doing.

“How's everyone tonight?” their waitress greeted the table with a cheerful grin, laughing when she got a chorus of answers.

“We're alright,” said Arizona with a tight smile. “Thanks.”

“Well, what can I get everyone to drink?” She wrote down the requests with a smile and a nod. “I'll be right back with those. Lids and straws?”

“Thank you,” Arizona agreed with a grateful breath.

The kids each thanked her politely when the young woman set down their drinks. “You're welcome, sweeties,” she said warmly. “Your kids are just so polite!” she marveled to Arizona under her breath. “I can barely get my two year old to acknowledge me.”

Arizona's eyes went wide, her mouth falling open. “Oh – uh – they, um, they're not – I'm actually n-”

“She's not our mommy,” Allegra chimed in, speaking around her straw. “Arizona's our mommy's girlfriend.” She slurped her drink loudly for a moment. “Mommy's at work and Daddy's on a trip so we're staying with Arizona.”

“And some things we don't need to tell people we just met,” Arizona told her with an embarrassed smile for their patient waitress. “Even if she's a very nice lady, okay?”

“Yep,” Allegra answered, giving her a grin. “Yes, ma'am,” she corrected herself when Arizona blinked at her. She was still in disbelief about how smoothly this was all going, but if the look had won her an extra bit of politeness then she wasn't going to question it. “Can I have pepperoni on mine, please?”

“Sure thing, Legs,” Arizona agreed easily. “Guys, what do you want on yours?”

“Cheeses!” Gavin requested with a toothy grin.

“What about you?” Arizona asked Angus, leaning over to talk directly to the shyer twin. His answer was mumbled and she leaned in closer, smiling sweetly to him. “What?” He whispered it in her ear again. “Pepperoni?”

“Peppers,” Allegra corrected her. “He likes peppers. The green ones.” She wrinkled her nose in a grimace. Clearly she wasn't a fan of her brother's choice of pizza toppings.

Gus confirmed it with a nod. “Okay, so, one kid's pizza with pepperoni, one with cheese, and one with green peppers,” recited Arizona diligently. “And I'll have two slices with chicken and pesto.”

“I'll have that right out to you guys,” their server told them with a friendly smile.

Dinner went smoothly, Arizona doing her best to keep up with the kids' chatter. She was around children all the time at work. This was something else entirely. These weren't patients, kids she would only know for a few days, weeks, months. She was in Callie's life, just like they were. And she wanted to be in Callie's life for the foreseeable future, a long time, if she was being optimistic. The kids would become a part of her life too if that was the case. Arizona would be alright with that. They were wonderful children – sweet, smart, and funny.

It was everything else about being in each other's lives – picking them up from school, tucking them in at night, all the casual little moments that she didn't get with her patients – that freaked her out the most about the idea of embracing their new reality. Because up until now she'd been able to tell herself that her role in the children's lives wouldn't be serious, she wouldn't be counted on.

That was before a plane had fallen out of the sky with their father on board.

Now even the best case scenario, that Owen was alive and would recover, meant that in the meantime she'd be making breakfasts and doing laundry until he got better and everyone's schedule went back to normal. If the worst happened she couldn't even comprehend what changes would be wrought on Callie's life, the kids'.

Gavin finished his dinner first but was determined to fill in the picture on his place mat and colored while his siblings and Arizona finished their food. He was content. They all were. They didn't know that their lives could be changing at this very moment while they unknowingly munched pizza.

“What are we going to do when we get home, guys?” Arizona asked, the quiet giving her too much time to ruminate. “Play a game? Watch a movie? Got any ideas?”

They were still discussing the pros and cons of _The Incredibles_ versus _Despicable Me_ (with Arizona torn between the two and keeping her mouth shut in the front seat) while she drove them home from the restaurant (and when, exactly, had she started mentally referring to Callie's house as home?). Arizona keyed them into the house as her phone rang in her purse, letting them in as she paused in the door to dig for it. “You guys pick one and I'll be right there,” she directed them. “Gus, you make sure there's no fighting, okay bud?” She found the phone and felt her chest tighten as she saw Callie's picture on the screen. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Callie sounded stressed, tired, her voice tight. “How are you doing?”

“They're fine,” Arizona promised, taking a step back out onto the porch and lowering her voice. “How are _you_? How's Owen?” Callie didn't speak for a moment and Arizona checked the phone to make sure the call was still connected. “Hello? Callie?”

“They put Owen in a coma.”

Arizona stepped outside and pulled the door almost closed behind her, one hand on the knob. “Oh my God.”

Callie was near tears, nowhere close to being professional or detached. “It's medically induced to give his heart a chance to rest and recover.” She cleared her throat. “C-c-cristina said he never stopped moving out there. She said h-he -”

“Callie, shh, just breathe,” Arizona coaxed, her heart aching at the pain in the other woman's voice. “Of could he didn't. Owen saves people. That's who he is.”

“Well, it might have killed him,” Callie shot back, choking and crying before the sentence had left her mouth. “Arizona, I'm sorry. I didn't -”

“Shh, it's okay,” Arizona soothed her again. “Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I can take it.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Owen overworked his heart?”

Callie took an audibly shaky breath and held it. “He got everyone together, under shelter. He couldn't build a fire because of all the rain but he helped them all stay awake, took care of everybody's injuries.”

“He's a hero,” Arizona chimed in hoarsely. Callie took another rough breath. “What do the doctors say?” Maybe if she could turn the conversation toward the clinical it would help.

Taking another long pause, Callie answered, “There was a PE and he didn't tell anyone. Cristina evacuated the blood from around his heart with a spray bottle tube.” Arizona grimaced as she tried to imagine improvising an operation like that. “But it was growing for hours and they only found out about it _after_ he collapsed, so they're not sure how bad the damage is yet.” She paused again, her voice broken and small. “They won't let me near his case, of course, but...” There was another audible breath. “Arizona, I don't even know what I would do if I _could_ -” She broke down again, nearly defeated.

“Callie, it doesn't mean there's nothing that can be done,” Arizona started to say.

“I'm the best!” Callie choked out in a growl even as she started to sob in bitter earnest.

“You are,” agreed Arizona quickly. “But you can't focus right now and that's why someone else has to be on this case. They can see things that you can't right now, sweetheart.”

“You don't think I'd save him if I could!?”

“Of course I don't think that! You're emotional right now, Callie. You can't think straight.” Arizona closed her eyes. She wished she could pull Callie into her arms right now. “Can you sleep?”

“No.” It wasn't an unexpected answer, no hesitation on Callie's side of the phone.

“Then will you give me to someone who will sedate you?” Arizona requested, relieved when it earned her a single choked laugh. “Please try and sleep?” she asked more seriously. “For the sake of your children who love you? And me?”

“Don't you love me too?” Callie asked meekly, her voice hoarse. Even through the phone she sounded beaten down.

Arizona inhaled deeply, squeezing her eyes closed more tightly. “More than anything,” she answered honestly. “Owen's resting now. You need to rest too. Please at least try, even if you won't leave the hospital.”

“Arizona...”

“Tell me you'll at least lay down,” Arizona pushed gently. “You can go back to it fresh in the morning. It'll be better for both of you if you've gotten some rest. Please promise me?”

There was nothing to do but agree, her own weariness making arguing with her girlfriend impossible. “I promise.” Callie groaned. “Thank you.”

“Take care of yourself,” instructed Arizona earnestly. “Call me back in the morning, okay?”

“Are the kids okay? They're behaving?”

Arizona smiled, leaning against the door frame and poking the door open just enough to catch sight of the living room. “They're fine. We just got home from pizza and they're deciding with movie we're going to watch before bedtime. Do you want to talk to anybody?”

Hesitating, Callie finally sighed. “No,” she decided. “Just tell them I love them and I'll talk to all of them in the morning.” She breathed in and held it, feeling an ache in every muscle. “Give them kisses from me.”

Arizona pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, still smiling softly. “I will.” She wished she could give Callie a kiss. Or a hug, or hold her while she slept. But she couldn't do any of those things. All she could do for Callie right now was talk. It didn't feel like nearly enough. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Callie stated. “I'll call you back in the morning.”

“Get some rest,” Arizona whispered, lowering her phone only once the line went dead. An excited shriek of her name drew her back inside. “I'm coming! Did you guys decide on one?”

“Incredibles!” Gavin announced, already working on getting the disc out of the case and into the player.

“Sounds good, bud,” sighed Arizona, flopping into the corner of the couch and closing her eyes as she leaned her head back. She was tired and she'd only been on the outside of events. She couldn't imagine how exhausted Callie had to be. Her breath escaped in a huff as Allegra made herself comfortable in the space right in front of her. Gavin was satisfied with the rest of the couch, but Gus waited for Arizona to shift over and give his sister more room, squirming into her side as soon as she was settled.

Arizona had been alone for her entire adult life, excepting a few mildly serious relationships in her mid-twenties. Whatever happened in her life, good or bad, she got through it on her own. Right now though, she wasn't sure what she'd be doing without these kids surrounding her.

The thought of Callie doing it on her own, coping alone in an on-call room in a new, unfamiliar hospital tonight, it broke her heart.


	18. Chapter 18

 Callie wasn't sure how long she'd managed to sleep, just that it hadn't been long, and she still felt bleary and tired after her first cup of coffee. She'd woken at nearly dawn, called Arizona right away without regard to the time, and now sat her vigil at Owen's bedside, flipping through his chart over and over, each time as fruitless as the last. If there was a way to help Owen here she couldn't see it. Raised voices outside the room drew her attention and Callie pushed herself to her feet wearily.

“Wha-?” Her question stopped almost as soon as she'd started to ask it. She'd met Owen's doctor the day before, but that wasn't who was yelling. Maybe she'd never actually met Teddy Altman but she recognized her immediately. “It's okay,” she interjected softly before anyone could call for security. “Teddy...”

She was even prettier than she'd been in the picture Callie had seen, her honey colored hair down in long curling waves past her shoulders. “Callie...” Clearly no introductions were necessary. “It's nice to finally meet you.” She wasn't smiling, her face serious. “It's not how I wanted it to happen.”

“No,” Callie agreed dryly. “When'd you get here?”

“Yesterday.” Sighing heavily Teddy turned toward Owen's room, leaning beside Callie and watching her friend breathing in the bed. “He was going to watch your team's surgery last night and we were supposed to meet at the airport. I heard about the crash before I was even off my plane.” She glanced sideways at the other woman. “I've seen you around but I figured it would be easier if I stayed out of your way.”

Callie shook her head, meeting her eyes. “I need help, so I'm glad you're here. Have you -?” She offered the folder in her hand.

Teddy took it gratefully. “They wouldn't give it to me. I'm not family.” She started reading as fast as she could.

“Well, they won't let me operate, so...” Callie groused.

“We'll figure this out,” said Teddy without looking up from the chart. “Do we have space to work?”

Having someone take the lead helped Callie gain some energy, feeling like she had help for the first time since she'd arrived in Boise. Yang had had her dislocated shoulder fixed and would have been all over this case but Ellis Grey had expressly forbidden it. She'd never felt so helpless in her life as she had the last two days. Teddy's arrival was proving to be a relief.

“Sure. I think Ellis has got us moved into a set of offices by now,” Callie said, laughing sarcastically. “This way.” She started to turn and hesitated, Teddy going up on her toes to avoid tripping over her. “Actually...” Callie gently removed the folder from her hands, Teddy's brows furrowing as she frowned in confusion. “Why don't you take a few minutes with him? I've got to go get some more coffee.”

Teddy's expression softened and Callie blinked as she was suddenly engulfed in a skinny, bony hug. The only person who hugged her anymore was Arizona and she was all softness and warmth. Teddy was wiry angles and bones. Callie still nearly melted into the embrace.

Realizing what she was doing exactly Teddy stepped back as quickly as she'd stepped forward. “Sorry,” she stammered. “I just – thank you.” Long hair fell across one eye as she ducked her head. “Everything Owen always said about you is right.”

Callie could just gape as the other woman retreated to Owen's room. She needed her coffee _now_ and would make time for calling Arizona, unsure if her mind was still working right. Had that really just happened? Arizona answered on the second ring. “Teddy just hugged me.”

“Oh.” There had been no time for a greeting and Arizona was left without a clue how Callie was doing. “Um, are you okay with that?” she asked slowly, unsure what reaction to expect from that announcement.

Callie took a breath, letting it out quickly. “Yes. I mean, I think so.” Her eyes tracked Teddy. She could see the other woman's mouth moving as she talked to an unconscious Owen, one hand on his arm as she leaned in. “She really loves him.”

In Seattle Arizona blinked, even more lost than she'd been a moment before. “Callie, what -?”

“It's the way she looks at him.” It was the same look she knew was on her face when she looked at Arizona, the look in Arizona’s eyes when her partner looked at her.

“Honey,” Arizona sighed. Pet names were rare between them, made a warm shiver settle at the small of Callie's back.

“I wish I could hug you,” said Callie before her girlfriend could come up with words of comfort.

Another sigh answered her. “Me too. Any idea when anyone will be ready to travel?”

“Kepner and Yang are mobile, and Avery's got a lineup of specialists flying to meet him at Seattle Grace, so they'll probably go out together.”

“Are they going to fly?” Arizona asked curiously before she thought better of it. “Probably not.”

“I think Ellis said they're leaving tonight.” She hadn't really been listening whenever Dr. Grey had dropped by to speak to her. If it didn't have to do with Owen she couldn't care about it. “Owen and Alex are still critical, so it just depends on how things go today.”

Arizona hesitated, swallowing the lump in her throat. It settled like a knot in her chest. “How is Alex?”

Brown eyes closed as Callie realized what she'd said. Of course her priority was Owen, but Arizona and Alex were close. She hadn't exactly been sensitive when she'd mentioned his condition. “His femur is an open fracture, a bad one. It tore through the skin on impact. The gash is almost half the length of his thigh. And they did what they could to keep it clean, but the infection is still really bad.”

“Are they going to amputate?” Arizona asked in a choked voice.

It was Callie's turn to hesitate. She had heard that mentioned as a possibility. And Ellis was too busy worrying about Avery's hand to fight with the Boise surgeons about it. The Head of Orthopedics at Seattle Grace, Dr. Chang, was lazy though, would probably just cut Alex's leg off rather than take the time to make a plan to save it.

“Callie, please...”

Arizona's anxious pleading forced her to answer. She couldn't leave Arizona hanging, not on this. “Yes. Maybe. He's refused consent so far though.”

“Good boy,” Arizona murmured under her breath, barely loud enough to be heard. “Can you bring them home?”

Callie's eyes opened to find Owen and Teddy again. “I'll see what I can do. Teddy's looking over Owen's chart since I'm fried and banned from an ER, but I promise I'll check on Alex, okay?”

“Thank you,” said Arizona earnestly. “If he's awake tell him to call me,” she requested.

“I will,” Callie promised, a shadow of a smile sneaking across her lips.

“And if he's asleep leave him a note telling him to call me.”

“I will,” repeated Callie. “Swear.”

Arizona let her breath out in a puff. “Thank you, Callie,” she said, less manic and more earnest.

“I love you.” Arizona echoed it gratefully and Callie's smile grew. “I'll call you later.” They hung up and Callie tucked her phone in her pocket. She decided against interrupting Teddy's moment with Owen and left the chart on the nurse's station.

A quick stop in the lobby for a coffee and Callie returned to the ICU room where Alex Karev had been since their rescue. His lights were down and he seemed to be sleeping. “Karev, you awake?” she whispered anyway. She'd promised Arizona she'd try but she didn't know him all that well. They'd hooked up once years ago (before Owen and even Erica) when they were both tipsy, but neither one had ever addressed it since it had happened. Since she was now involved with his boss it was probably prudent Arizona never find out it had happened at all.

He didn't answer and she moved into the room to check his monitors. His pulse was a little fast. Reaching out, Callie tested his forehead with a practiced hand. His skin was sweaty and sallow, radiating heat. Too much heat. With a frown she had to search for the digital thermometer on the bedside cart and aimed it.

“Shit.” His fever had spiked drastically. The infection was worse than they'd expected. She was reaching for the call button when the monitors went berserk, the bouncing pattern of Alex's pulse dropping to a flat line. “Fuck.” She slammed the button and started CPR. “He crashed! I need some help in here!”

The hospital's crash team was there in a moment, trying and failing to take over for her. Someone whipped the blanket back to check his broken leg and the sight of it made Callie gasp. “The infection's spread.” His skin was red and irritated, the torn flesh weeping as his body struggled to fight the invading infection. The resident looked up to meet her eyes. “What should we do?”

Alex would die if the infection got into his blood and made it to his heart. If they could get his heart to beat again. The monitors started beeping reassuringly as he suddenly found his rhythm again, the wailing siren becoming a steady, still too fast, beat. His heart was racing. One of the doctors sent a fresh cocktail of drugs into his IV and his pulse slowed gradually, freeing Callie to take a relieved breath.

“Dr. Torres?”

They were looking at her for an answer and Callie pushed her hair back from her face with both hands. “Oh, I'm not his – he -”

“Cut it off.” Everyone turned at the imperious voice from the doorway, Callie's eyes falling closed. Ellis Grey ruled the room as if they were actually in _her_ hospital. “Immediately.” Leaving the order ringing in the air she turned to walk away, everyone in her wake left silent and stunned.

Callie was more accustomed to her boss' dramatic exits and pushed past the Boise doctors to follow her. “He's refused consent, Ellis. We can't do this.”

“Are you Dr. Karev's medical contact?” Ellis asked immediately. “Do you know who Dr. Karev's medical contact is?” Callie had no clue who it was, just that Arizona had mentioned once that he couldn't really count on his family. “Dr. Karev made the hospital his emergency contact.” Callie closed her eyes as the implications of the information sunk in. “His family isn't close, as I understand. Now, I'm sure Dr. Karev assumed he'd be at Seattle Grace when or if decisions ever had to be made, but here we are. It's his leg or his life. I know it and so do you.” Ellis hadn't stopped walking, just addressed her over her shoulder. Callie quickened her pace to get in front of her, meeting her glare without backing down. “Is there something you need, Dr. Torres?”

“We can't let them take his leg,” Callie protested. “Waking up without his leg will -”

“Dr. Karev knew this was a possibility.”

“And he's said _no_ more than once,” countered Callie shortly.

Ellis arched a brow, her lips tight. “Do you believe Dr. Karev wants to die?”

“No, but I _know_ he wants to keep his leg!”

“Wouldn't we all in this situation?” Grey pointed out, still impossibly calm. Callie was starting to think she might be a robot. “Unfortunately for Dr. Karev, that may no longer be an option.”

“Give him time to wake up,” Callie pleaded. “I'll talk to him.”

“And what would you say, what could you _possibly_ say, that would prepare him to lose his leg?” challenged the shorter woman. The height difference took nothing away from her intimidation. There was nothing Callie could say, her mouth open without words coming out. “Your concern is admirable, Callie. But this is the only choice we have here,” she said more gently. “If it will make you feel better I'll do it myself,” she offered, making Callie feel none the better about the situation. Ellis checked her watch. “Or, rather, I'll oversee it.” She patted Callie's arm as she edged around her. “Let me know what Dr. Altman thinks about Owen's ability to travel if you wouldn't mind,” she requested as she resumed walking away.

Callie was left staring after her, the aching knot in her stomach that had been there since they'd heard about the crash tightening. Ellis would be relentless, never relinquishing when she felt she was right. It left Callie only one choice – return to Alex's bedside and pray his eyes opened before Ellis arrived with her scalpel.

He was worse when she got back to his room, intubated, heart still beating too hard as his body struggled to fight the infection. Owen's stats had been languishing and Callie had been trying to stay hopeful, but she felt the hope sink out of her now. How could this have happened to these people? These were good people who were suffering, good men who might die, a good man who _had_ died.

Ellis did her the favor of giving her ten minutes before she reappeared at the door. “I'm here to take him to surgery.”

Callie stood up, Alex still unconscious in the bed. She was glaring as she turned around, didn't try and restrain her frustration, her fury. “You're Ellis Grey. And maybe this is just an amputation to you, but he is a good man, a great surgeon, and you have to give him your best work. You're making the decision, you do the work. Do you understand me?”

People didn't talk that way to Dr. Ellis Grey. For years Callie Torres had learned to be meek, her only option living with Owen, working for Ellis. She was grateful to Ellis, somewhat, because arguably the best surgeon in the country had seen something in her, had helped foster her career. She'd gone into Cardio because of Ellis Grey. She'd been a different person before Ellis, and Owen, and she couldn't say one way or another if she'd been better then or was better now, but in the last six months she'd started to remember who she'd been before, getting some of that woman back a bit at a time.

Part of it had been Arizona, getting to know her, falling in love with her. Her partner wasn't the motivation for the change, just the catalyst for her spirit to reemerge. Because Arizona had drawn her out of herself, encouraged her, and supported her. Arizona loved every part of who she was. And even more miraculously, so did she. She'd grown up a lot, had more than a few bad moments, but she'd come through them as a woman she was proud to be.

She was a different person than Ellis was used to dealing with and she wasn't going to apologize for it.

“Do you unders-?”

“Yes, of course I do.” Their eyes locked and it was honestly the first time Callie had felt like an equal with the other woman.

Teddy was waiting in the hall when she returned to Owen's room, lanky form leaning against the nurse's station as she read the chart. One look at Callie's face and she knew that something had happened. “What is it?” She couldn't help a reassuring glance over her shoulder toward the redhead in the bed to make sure that whatever it was hadn't happened to him.

“I don't have any answers,” Callie answered cryptically, not blinking as she stared into Owen's room, leaning back beside Teddy. “For anybody. And a good man is upstairs losing his leg and it feels like I should have done something.”

Teddy sighed, hesitating. “I'm sorry.” She reached for Callie's arm and almost thought better of touching her before she finished the action and squeezed her shoulder lightly. “But sometimes there's nothing we can do.”

Callie's head lifted swiftly. “No...” She could see it in Teddy's eyes though. If there was hope for Owen she was having just as much trouble finding it as Callie had been. His heart was still too weak to risk surgery even if there was something they could do by opening him up. This fight was his to win or lose.

“Never say never, and Owen's the strongest guy I know, but his heart's getting weaker.” She withdrew her hand to wrap both arms around herself. “He worked too hard out there.”

“He was saving people,” Callie said almost defensively.

“That's what he does,” agreed Teddy, her tone warm, affectionate and fond. “He didn't get to save our team, you know? They blew up right in front of him and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to save any of them. That was when they sent him home.” Callie watched the emotions flicker across the taller woman's face. “He had to do what he had to do to save his new team.”

Callie could understand that. Owen had always valued his commitments. He could never have stopped moving if there was a chance he could save someone else. He would sacrifice his life for someone else without another thought. She couldn't help futilely wishing that he'd thought of their children and what it would do to them to lose him before he'd been such a big damn hero.

“Dr. Grey wanted me to ask you what you thought about moving him,” Callie said, breathing out slowly. “She's eager to get everyone back to Seattle.”

Teddy took a moment to consider before she answered. “If we keep him under it should be fine.”

“You don't think he'll wake up, do you?”

They weren't looking at each other, each staring at the man they'd shared. “No, I don't.” Both hands squeezed into fists at her sides. “I'm sorry.”

“I'm sorry too,” Callie whispered. “Owen's strong. He could surprise us.”

“He'd better,” Teddy agreed softly. After a moment she whispered, “Would you mind if I went with you to Seattle?”

Callie blinked but didn't turn her head. “Please.”

Callie wanted nothing more than to slump to the floor and allow grief and exhaustion to cripple her. But she couldn't do that. She needed to keep herself together, be able to tell the kids what was happening. She needed to talk to Arizona. “I'll tell Ellis we'll be ready to go tonight,” she told Teddy, wearily pushing herself upright. “I've got to go call my girlfriend. She's got the kids.” Teddy's face pinched in sympathy and she nodded, standing up herself to stride into Owen's room.

Arizona could barely hear the phone over the sound of shrieking kids, having just ducked into the daycare to check on Callie's children. She stepped out quickly, free hand covering her ear. “Callie? Hey! Did you talk to Alex?”

Tears burned the corners of Callie's eyes and she swallowed hard. “He crashed, honey. We got him back, but...”

“Oh my God,” Arizona whispered. “Callie...”

“Ellis took the decision out of my hands. And Alex's medical decision person is actually the hospital, so...”

“Oh God.”

“Teddy doesn't think Owen is going to wake up. His heart isn't recovering like we'd hoped.” If she stopped speaking she'd think and if she thought at all about the implications of what she was saying she'd collapse into tears. “We're bringing everyone home tonight. Alex is in surgery now, but Grey wants Avery home for consults about his hand as soon as possible. And Yang and Kepner are both stable, so we're flying out tonight.”

“Callie, stop,” Arizona cut in.

“And Teddy's coming back with us.”

“Callie!”

“I'll let you know when we leave, but once we've got Owen in a room I need you to bring the kids to me so I can -”

“Callie, slow down,” tried Arizona again. “Breathe for a minute, okay?”

Callie had started to pace. “I can't! I can't slow down, I can't stop!” If she stopped then everything would hit her all at once. “One thing at a time is the best I can do.” Her breathing was fast and heavy. “Alex is losing his leg _right_ _now_. Owen might never wake up. I can't do anything for Alex, but either way, I have things I _have_ to do about Owen.” She couldn't be sad, couldn't be upset in front of her children. So she couldn't crack here or else she wouldn't be able to pull herself together before they got home. “I know it's a lot to ask you, but I -”

“I'll do anything you need me to,” Arizona said softly, sighing. “Call me when you leave and when you land, and we'll figure out the rest.”

Callie's eyes closed, able to hear Arizona putting her brave face on. She hated everything about this. “I love you.”

Arizona sounded choked, hoarse, as she echoed it, “I love you too. Callie...” Whatever else she was going to say got lost to hesitation and silence. “Be safe.”

“I'll see you soon,” Callie promised, wishing that Arizona was there in front of her, wanting to wrap her arms around her partner.

“Soon.”


	19. Chapter 19

 Callie straightened her lab coat for what felt like the hundredth time while she waited on the elevator to arrive. Teddy was around somewhere, but had graciously decided to be elsewhere for this. They'd arrived back in Seattle late the night before, deciding together not to keep Owen's coma going medically. His stats weren't improving and if he was going to wake up he'd have to do it himself. They'd sat on either side of his bed all night with no change. He wasn't waking up.

The sun had risen and Callie had been forced to face the knowledge that she had to let her children know what was happening. Once the elevator doors opened her whole world was going to change.

Arizona met her eyes the second the doors parted, her expression sober. Gus was in her right arm, sitting on her hip, Gavin and Allegra talking over each other as they argued about something undoubtedly world ending to them. If only they knew what was really happening. Spotting her, Angus was immediately squirming to get free. “Mommy!”

Arizona handed him over willingly, standing silently as all three children clamored at Callie, all hugging her at whatever spots they could reach. Unconsciously Arizona's arms wrapped around herself, needing a hug herself knowing what was coming. Callie knelt to their level and waited patiently for the eager chatter to die down. “Hey guys,” she greeted them, taking a shaky breath. “I missed you too. You had a good time with Arizona, though, right? And you all behaved?”

There was a jumbled round of agreements from all three kids, Allegra looking over her shoulder for confirmation from Arizona. “They did,” she murmured, a small, sad smile on her lips.

Callie swallowed hard, eyes locking on Arizona’s again. There was nothing to be gained from dragging this out. Her gaze dropped to each of her children. “I have something I need to tell you three,” she started. Arizona moved to take a step back, distancing herself from this intensely personal family moment. “Wait,” Callie whispered, stopping her in her tracks. “Daddy's sick, guys.” Three little eyes went wide. “There was an accident with the plane he was on and it crashed.” She thought she was going to choke but forced herself to keep going. “People were hurt but your daddy worked really hard to keep everybody safe.”

Tears were already welling in Allegra's eyes. “Is Daddy gonna be okay?”

“Daddy's heart got hurt while they were in the woods waiting for someone to find them. He's sleeping until his heart gets better.”

“You fix it,” Angus requested, shattering Callie's heart in her chest.

“I wish I could,” she sighed. “Daddy's friend Teddy is a heart surgeon too and she's been helping me.” She blinked, scared of the tears she could feel burning behind her eyes. “I know he wants to see you though,” she told them. “Do you guys want to see him?”

She stood up as she got somber nods in answer, her own heart aching and breaking in her chest. Her boys looked like their father. The children followed suit, Arizona surprised when Gavin took her hand to bring her along. Teddy was in the room when they arrived, her eyes quickly taking in the scene and backing off from her bedside vigil. She and Callie exchanged nods, the taller surgeon giving Arizona a shadow of a smile in greeting.

Gavin released Arizona to move forward with his siblings, leaving Teddy and Arizona by the door as silent observers, affected but not involved. They had their own personal connections to the situation – Teddy with Owen, Arizona with Callie and the kids – but they couldn't be here for this.

Callie helped the kids climb onto Owen's bed without disturbing any of his monitors, and was only a step behind them out the door. “You guys don't have to go.”

“Yes, we do,” Teddy said with a nod, a sad smile. “They need you.”

“Thank you,” sighed Callie, gratefully squeezing her arm. “I'll call you later when you can have the room back.”

Arizona managed a smile as Teddy turned to go. “Nice to meet you, finally.”

“You too,” said Teddy, nodding again. “I've heard great things. I'm sorry about the circumstances we're meeting under.” She took another glance into the patient room. “I'll see you both later.”

Arizona waited another second but moved to follow her. “Please stay,” Callie breathed.

“I can't,” Arizona whispered, one hand cupping her face softly. “This is for them and you. I'll be here after. For anything you need,” she promised. “But they need you right now, not me.” She leaned in to press a gentle kiss to Callie's cheek, able to feel her breathing against her ear. “I need to go see Alex but I'll come back later.”

Everything Arizona was saying was the truth but Callie still couldn't imagine letting her walk away and handling this herself. That was exactly what she had to do though. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Arizona echoed. “I'm so sorry.”

Callie let her go after a hug that wasn't nearly long enough, returning to her ex-husband's bedside. Allegra was on her knees on the bed by Owen's shoulder, leaning over to kiss him gently. She sat back up, clearly waiting for something. “Sweetheart,” Callie started.

“It's gonna work. Just wait,” she said without taking her eyes off Owen's face.

“What's going to work, baby?” asked Callie, her heart aching again. How could she do this? How could anyone do this and survive?

“In the stories when the princess is asleep, the prince kisses her and she wakes up. I'm Daddy's princess,” she explained, her focus unwavering.

Callie couldn't stop her tears, emotion choking her and stealing her breath. She turned from the scene to try and regain control before it left her entirely, both hands covering her face. Allegra would be crushed when she didn't get her fairytale miracle. Owen's stats had been falling and his medical wishes didn't have a lot of stipulations for life sustaining care. He had no desire to be on life support. If he didn't start recovering on his own there was nothing she could do for him.

When she turned back to them the boys had flanked their sister, Gavin resting a hand on her shoulder. Her children were strong. She could at least be as strong. Moving forward she wrapped both arms around her babies. She took a seat on the edge of the bed and pulled them into her lap, her side. She could only close her eyes and wait for a miracle she knew wasn't coming. When Allegra started to realize that her kiss wasn't going to wake her father Callie was her refuge, burying her face in her mother's shoulder and letting herself be rocked.

One floor above them Alex Karev was waking up to be greeted by Arizona. “Hey boss,” he grunted, pushing himself up against the angled back of the bed with both hands.

“Alex,” Arizona whispered, her throat dry. “How are you feeling?” His eyes hadn't opened fully yet. He didn't know that his left leg now ended at mid-thigh.

“Like a plane crashed and ripped my leg apart,” he said gruffly, coughing. Arizona sat up to hold a cup of water for him. One hand reached toward the bedside table for his glasses and pushed them on. Her face was close when he saw the truth of his situation, his groan of recognition making it impossible for Arizona to resist hugging him. They weren't personal usually, not in Ellis Grey's hospital, but years of working together had forged an understanding between them. They both knew it was there even if they didn't often acknowledge it. He let her hug him now though. “Or ripped it _off_ , I guess.”

It wasn't funny and she didn't laugh. “We'll get you a prosthetic.” Arizona leaned back to look at his face. He was staring in horrified fascination at the empty place under the blanket where his left knee should have been.

“I guess you can consult your list of people who want my spot in the program,” he countered, reaching out to pull the sheets back. The athletic shorts from his locker covered the new scar, the edge of the fabric falling flat over his shortened limb.

Arizona blinked to stop herself from staring, looking determinately at his face. “That's not going to happen,” she stated flatly. “You're my guy, Karev.”

“Don't let Torres hear you say that,” he joked, though his tone was dull.

“Hey! You're my guy,” Arizona repeated herself, stern now. “Do you think I've put years into training you just to let you walk away now?”

They each realized her choice of words at the same moment, Arizona holding her breath while she waited for a reaction from him. Gruff laughter wasn't what she expected but Alex laughed, leaning over and losing his breath as he couldn't stop the unexpected mirth.

“Karev, I'm sorry.”

He regained control slowly shaking his head as he stopped the laughter. “I guess I should have put your name on those medical forms.” His smile faded, expression growing morose. “Maybe I'd still have a leg. What happened in Boise? Did Torres tell you?”

Arizona hesitated, licking her lips. She nodded slowly. She couldn't lie to him about this. “You crashed. The infection was too bad, was spreading too fast. Callie got your rhythm back but Ellis made the call.” She took a breath while he processed that information. “She did the surgery herself.”

“Who'd have thought I'd warrant such a treat,” Alex scoffed, sarcastic and bitter.

“Alex...” There was no tone of warning in her tone, just resignation. “I looked at your chart, at the scans of your leg.” His eyes met hers, his jaw tight. “It was a mess.”

“I was going to lose it one way or another,” he guessed.

Arizona sighed heavily. “Maybe not but saving it would have been complicated, and dangerous, and if it'd worked it probably would have hurt like a motherfucker for the rest of your life.”

He managed a half smile, pushing his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose with one finger. “Torres lets you talk like that around her kids?” She answered him with a small shadow of her own smile. “I guess I owe her a thank you for getting me back.” He sighed, remembering that he wasn't the only one who'd been hurt. “How's Torres doing? I heard Hunt was worse off than me.”

“His heart is failing,” Arizona told him gruffly. “His friend Teddy is Cardio and she's been working with Callie but they've got nothing until his stats improve.”

Alex sat up straighter in bed. “You should be with her,” he said. “I'll be fine,” he continued before the protest was out of her mouth. “She needs you.”

She could have challenged him, that he needed her as well, but she knew him better than that. He would need time to process his loss, figure out on his own how he was going to deal with this. There was nothing she could do for him right now. “I'll come back.”

“I'll see you tomorrow,” Alex clarified, resuming staring at his missing leg.

Arizona stood up but hesitated in the doorway, leaning against the jamb with one shoulder. “I'll bring you some case files. I can't have you going flabby on me in here.”

His smile was forced. “Thanks, boss.”

Arizona left him alone to return to Callie, taking a minute in the elevator for herself. It was hard, feeling so powerless to help people she cared about. It wasn't a feeling she was accustomed to, being a surgeon. She found solutions to problems, fixed people. But she couldn't give Alex his leg back, couldn't make Owen's heart strong again. She just had to stand by and do her best to support them through the radical life changes the crash had wrought on them.

Callie was on the short couch at Owen's bedside when Arizona got back to his room, a cup of coffee and a bag of donuts in her hands. Rapping gently with two knuckles got Callie's attention. The kids were sleeping, in her lap and on the bed with Owen, Callie's eyes bleary, face streaked with tears that were only half dried. “Come in,” she whispered, hoarse and croaking.

“I don't want to interrupt,” Arizona whispered as she entered. “I just -”

“I need you to stay,” Callie interrupted, speaking quietly. Angus was asleep against her chest but didn't stir. Gavin and Allegra were slumped against Owen's shoulders. “Please,” she pleaded. Arizona couldn't deny her and sank onto the cushion next to her, putting the bag of sweets on the floor next to her feet.

Callie wanted to move closer, wanted to put her head on Arizona's shoulder and let herself be comforted. She didn't want to move and risk waking any of the kids. They were too tired to be woken again. Arizona didn't hesitate to reach over for Gus' legs, guiding them over her own lap. “Come here,” she whispered, opening up her nearer arm to her partner. Callie slid over immediately, burying herself in Arizona’s shoulder. Sensing her presence Gus sighed and sprawled more completely across them both. Arizona's free hand rubbed his little leg through his jeans. “I could take them home if you want to stay,” she offered in a whisper.

“I should take them home, I just -” She didn't want them to leave Owen alone, not if she wasn't sure their children would get to see him again.

“I get it,” Arizona confirmed. “We'll stay.”

Realizing that Arizona hadn't actually been to her own home in days because of keeping her children Callie started to lift her head. “You could go home. You've -”

“I go home when you go home,” Arizona denied her gently, guiding her head back down to her chest.

Callie was exhausted, would be entirely relieved to get out of the hospital and back to her own house, her bed, with her kids and her girlfriend. She couldn't leave Owen alone though.

“Shh.” Arizona kissed her hair softly, combing gentle fingers through dark locks. “You're thinking so loud. Just relax. Sleep if you can. I'm here. I'll stay with Owen.”

Callie's eyes were already falling closed. A soft knock on the door stopped her from passing straight out. She opened her eyes with a grumbling groan. “Come in.”

“You know, I had forgotten exactly how grumpy you get when you're tired,” Arizona whispered into her hair, making her smile.

Teddy peeked around the door frame cautiously, not wanting to interrupt family time. Her gaze caught on the kids in the bed and she swallowed hard. “Hey.”

“Come on in,” Callie offered. “Have a seat.” There wasn't really anywhere to sit though, and Teddy deserved some time with Owen. “Actually, do you think you could stay with him tonight? The kids are just wiped out and none of the nurses will kick you out.” She breathed deep. “You'd be doing me a huge favor.” If anything changed in the night there was no one she trusted more to handle it than Teddy Altman.

Teddy knew the truth of the offer but didn't question it, just nodded gratefully. “Of course.”

Arizona stood up once Callie had untangled from her side, passing the bag of donuts to Teddy. “Here. You'll need the sugar. And they should get eaten while they're still fresh.”

“Thanks,” the heart surgeon murmured, glancing at the bag in her hands.

Arizona didn't miss a beat as she plucked Angus from Callie's lap, the sleeping toddler snuggling willingly into her neck. Getting Gavin up one handed was a feat in itself but she succeeded. Callie could just blink in surprise at how easily Arizona handled her children, shouldering their bag and scooping up Allegra herself.

The transition from car seat to bed went smoothly, only Allegra murmuring as she was put down in her bed but the familiarity of home soothed her enough that she didn't wake. The twins they placed into the same bed, Callie relieved when they just squirmed closer to each other as she tucked the blankets around them.

Callie kicked her shoes off as she shuffled into her bedroom, leaving them in the floor where they dropped. Her clothes followed suit, all left in trailing piles on the carpet. The top drawer of her dresser provided a soft t-shirt and shorts to sleep in. Before she reached the bed her toes collided with a duffel bag on the floor. She looked down, tired enough that the unexpected just confused her. “Huh?”

“Oh.” Arizona was only half out of her clothes, having stopped to pick up Callie's. “Sorry, that's mine.” She brushed past her to put the clothing in the hamper in Callie's bathroom.

Callie blinked, her bedroom quiet and dark, her mind tired and slow. “Why didn't you -?” But there was no end to that question that she could ask. They didn't live together. Arizona had stayed here to help her and the kids. She couldn't ask her to move in under these circumstances. What she did instead was open one of the empty drawers Owen had left behind on the other side of the dresser. “Here. You can put some stuff in here if you want. Or in the closet.”

Smiling softly, Arizona nodded. “Thank you.” It was a sweet gesture, but it wasn't something they needed to deal with tonight. “Get in bed,” she coaxed in a whisper.

“You're coming, right?” asked Callie, blinking again slowly. She was exhausted, and sad, and wanted nothing more than Arizona’s arms around her.

Arizona leaned in to kiss her softly. “Of course I am. I'll be right there.” She changed into her own tank top and pajama pants and slipped into bed behind Callie, wrapping her in her arms and tucking in close. Callie fell asleep almost immediately but Arizona was awake for a while, stroking dark hair and listening to slow breathing.

It was late when the bedroom door pushed open for Angus but she just moved over to let him crawl in between them. Callie turned over, her kids and her pager the only things that could wake her up when she was deeply asleep. One hand stroked her son's blond curls gently, her chest aching as he snuffled back tears. Her other hand reached for Arizona's arm, breathing deep in relief when her partner laced their fingers together.


	20. Chapter 20

Morning was complicated, Callie unsure what would be best for the kids – their normal routine, pretending everything was going to be okay, or going to the hospital to let them spend whatever time Owen had left in their company. Arizona helped with everything, breakfast and getting the kids dressed, keeping them occupied while Callie was in the shower. She thought nothing of answering the door when the bell rang while Callie was still upstairs.

“Grandma!” Gavin on her heels identified their guest without Arizona needing to take a guess.

“Mrs. Hunt, come in, please,” Arizona said with a kind smile, stepping back to open the door wider. One hand on Gavin's head guided him back with her.

The older woman was shorter than her son by at least a foot and a half but she had the same ability to make her presence felt that Owen did, despite being much less able to loom the way he did. “You're Nevada?”

“Arizona!” Gavin corrected before Arizona could do it for herself. “Like the battleship!” He'd been fascinated by the etymology of Arizona's name and pleased by the military connection when she'd explained it to him.

“Arizona Robbins,” she introduced herself, offering a hand to shake. “Gav, help your grandma with her coat.” He jumped forward to take it for her, holding the bundle over his head until Arizona took it and hung it up for him. “Thank you, little man.”

Mrs. Hunt cleared her throat lightly. “Is Callie at the hospital?”

“Oh, actually she's upstairs getting ready,” said Arizona. “We're heading in after we get the kitchen cleaned up from breakfast.” It was mid-morning but they were taking things slow today.

Gavin nodded to his grandmother. “We're helping,” he said importantly.

“How about you guys go finish up and we can go?” Arizona suggested, smiling as he scampered away eagerly. Taking a step back she called up the stairs, “Callie, your mother-in-law is here.”

Mrs. Hunt surprised her by shaking her head. “I believe you mean _ex_ -mother-in-law,” she corrected her. “You and Callie are involved now, aren't you? Owen told me. He didn't mention that you were living together though.”

Arizona wasn't sure what to say, how much Callie would be comfortable sharing, so she mustered a smile. “I'm just trying to help out.”

“I see,” murmured the older woman as Callie rushed down the stairs.

“Ellen, hey.” Callie hugged her in greeting and accepted the kiss on the cheek she got in return. “You met Arizona? Of course you did.” Her nerves were clear and Arizona reached forward to slip her fingers through Callie's. “Thank you for coming,” Callie said more calmly, squeezing Arizona’s hand in gratitude.

“How is he?” Ellen asked, anxious but strong. Teddy had updated them this morning and the news wasn't good. Owen's stats were dropping, weaker than ever. Callie was finding hope a hard thing to hold onto. Her priority had to be the kids right now, facing the impossible task of getting them through losing their father, if things progressed and that's where they ended up.

Callie could just swallow, shaking her head. “It's gotten worse. His heart isn't recovering.”

“It's not going to recover?” asked the older woman, wisely keeping her voice down. The kids couldn't hear them talking about this. The look on Callie's face was her answer. “Are you sure there's nothing you – or anyone – can anyone -?”

Sighing, Callie felt the lump in her throat choke her up. “Owen's friend Teddy has been consulting on the case since they first got to Boise,” Arizona chimed in when it became clear that her partner couldn't speak. Ellen nodded her understanding. She knew who Teddy was. “I don't know of -”

“I'm sorry, Ellen,” Callie breathed, her heart heavy. “I'm so sorry.”

“Can we go see him?”

“Of course,” she answered. Arizona slipped away from her side to gather the kids from the kitchen. “You could ride with us?”

“My truck's outside,” Ellen said hoarsely. She looked like she could use a moment to get herself together.

“We'll see you there then,” Callie assured her, stepping forward and opening the door for her. “Ellen...” There was a lingering look between them, shared sorrow and grief, but there was nothing to say. Arizona's expression was sympathetic as she turned back around, the kids on her heels. “Hey, guys, is everyone ready to go?” Callie asked, grateful that her voice wasn't as hoarse as it had been.

“Where's Grandma?” Gavin asked even as he shrugged into his jacket, Arizona using both hands to help each of the boys straighten out their sleeves enough to actually get the coats on.

“She's going to meet us at the hospital,” Callie told him. “We're all going to go see Daddy.”

“He's still sleeping?” Allegra asked, the corners of her mouth turned down.

“Yes, sweetie. But we're going to go keep him company,” said Callie. “And you guys can show Grandma around the hospital.”

“Can we eat in the cafeteria?” Gavin asked hopefully. Ellis wasn't a fan of children in her hospital unless they were sick and it was an unwritten rule that the children of faculty and staff didn't spend extracurricular time outside of the daycare. Eating in the cafeteria, something considered routine by their parents, had become a rare treat for them. “They have corndogs, Mom.”

Callie and Arizona exchanged patient looks and Callie bit the inside corner of her mouth to hold back a smile. If she smiled now, in this moment, on this day, she'd lose her already tenuous hold on her emotion. Smiling would become crying before she could stop it. “We'll see. Everybody to the car,” she directed. Arizona took her hand as they stepped outside, watching the kids while Callie locked the door behind them.

The drive was quiet, something that never happened in Callie's car, and all three were withdrawn when they got out at the hospital. They perked up on seeing their grandmother in their father's room, the older woman sitting at her son's bedside when the rest of the family shuffled in. Arizona stopped just inside the room, still holding Callie's hand. “I'm going to go check on Alex,” she said softly.

Understanding, Callie nodded. Arizona was trying to give them space to deal with this as a family. She could appreciate that because she knew that the second she asked for her to stay that Arizona wouldn't leave her side. The kids needed time with their father, with their grandmother – no matter how much their mother longed for Arizona's presence. “Okay.” She nodded, licking her lips. “I'll call you in a while?” They both knew that the youngest Hunts wouldn't be able to stay in that room for long.

“Yeah,” agreed Arizona. “I just want to peek in on him. I love you.”

“I love you too,” sighed Callie gratefully, taking a half step forward and kissing her softly. Her eyes fell closed as Arizona kissed her back. She had absolutely no idea how she'd do this without this woman. Hands found Arizona’s sides and gripped her shirt, pulling her infinitesimally closer.

“I love you,” Arizona repeated as the kiss ended, her eyes closed and forehead on Callie's. “I'll be back soon.” Callie leaned in for a last quick kiss before she stepped back, hands dragging as they released the fabric of Arizona’s shirt. “See you in a little bit, guys,” she offered to the rest of the room, waving when they all turned to say goodbye.

It was harder than she'd expected it to be to leave them, not realizing exactly how much time she'd spent with them lately until she was alone in the elevator. She wasn't family though, couldn't put herself into their time of grief because she was in love with their mother. She'd be there for any of them, the second they needed her, but she wasn't going to insert herself into them losing their father as it happened.

Arizona was distracted from her thoughts as she reached Alex's room and was greeted by an empty, unmade bed. “What the hell?” Turning around, she backpedaled to the nurses' station. “Where's Dr. Karev?”

Her tone was short and the flustered nurse nearly dropped the file in her hands. “Oh, um, Dr. Robbins -”

“Where did he go?” Arizona demanded slowly, enunciating each word as if the nurse was an idiot.

“He went to physical therapy.”

Arizona gaped at her as if she wasn't sure the nurse _wasn't_ stupid. “He's three days post-op from an amputation! He shouldn't be in PT! He shouldn't be out of bed!”

“He said -”

“I don't care what he said!” Arizona barked sternly. She marched back toward the elevators without a backward glance. That nurse wasn't the only idiot in this hospital and she was going to kick Alex's ass as soon as she found him. The physical therapy gym was in its own wing, two floors down. She charged through the double doors and spotted him across the room in a wheelchair. “Karev!” His shoulders went tight and Arizona dodged a few patients as she crossed to him. “What the hell do you think you're doing?”

His jaw was as tight as his back, eyes hard and sunken. Alex Karev looked exhausted, utterly wrecked. “I've got this job. That's it. I screwed it up with Meredith. My plane crashed and I don't have a leg.” Arizona swallowed hard but could say nothing. “This job. Working with you. That's all I've got left.”

“You're still in shock,” Arizona said gently, kneeling to his height in the chair. “You need to rest. You need to get better.”

“I need to get back to work,” he countered. “Before Grey kicks me out of the program.”

“You let me worry about Dr. Grey, you hear me?” Arizona ordered, her tone sharp and firm. “Don't worry about your job. It'll be there for you whenever you're ready.”

Both hands pushed down on the arms of his wheelchair, letting him shift his weight in the seat. “Boss...”

“Your incision isn't even healed, Alex,” she said, softer now. “Give yourself time.” She leaned over to look at his shortened limb herself, the scar still red, skin puckered and tight around the stitches. Alex was watching her look when her head lifted. Arizona smiled up at him, hoping to be encouraging. She mostly looked sad. “Take whatever time you need. And whatever you need from me, you've got it.”

He nodded, grateful but unable to vocalize it. “How's Hunt?”

Her head shook from side to side. “Not good.”

His expression was already sober. “He gonna make it?”

Arizona sighed heavily. “Not without a miracle.”

A beat. “Damn.” Alex sighed himself as he glanced around the busy gym. “I'll take it easy but I can't stay here.”

Standing up, Arizona nodded. “We'll get you discharged.” After she checked every page of his medical records for herself and made sure that the infection that had cost him a limb was gone from his system.

“Thanks, boss.” Arizona took over pushing his chair through the crowded room but he stopped her outside the PT wing doors. “You don't have to keep me company, you know? I know your girl needs you.”

As if she needed a sign her phone started to ring in her pocket. “Hey.”

On the other end Callie's voice was overpowered momentarily by clamoring children and Arizona couldn't help smiling, the expression weak. Alex stared at his missing leg without speaking. “Hey. I know you're with Alex and I don't want to interrupt you, but we were going to get some lunch and the kids want you to come. Bring Alex if he's up for getting out of his room,” she suggested.

“I'll see what he's up for,” Arizona told her. “I need to check on a few things, but I'll meet you guys in the cafeteria.”

“Okay, thanks.”

They clicked off and Arizona slipped her phone back into her pocket. “You want to roll by the cafeteria while you're mobile?”

His smirk was crooked. “Nah. Not hungry. You go ahead. I think I'll roam a little bit.”

“Okay,” Arizona agreed slowly, sensing that it wasn't the right moment to try arguing with him. “I'll roam by Ellis' office and make sure she knows you're checking out soon. And that your spot in the program is yours without any caveats.”

Alex swallowed, nodding. “Thanks, Dr. Robbins.”

She squeezed his shoulder. “Take care of yourself, Karev.”

Arizona found their Chief in her office attending to the paperwork left behind after days away from her hospital. She looked up when Arizona rapped on the door frame. “Ah, Dr. Robbins, what is it?” She was still flipping pages idly.

“Alex Karev is my fellow, no matter how long his recovery takes,” Arizona announced without a preamble. She had lunch plans waiting on her. And she'd never admit it out loud, but the longer she spent one on one with the other surgeon the more likely she'd cry. “You made the call to take his leg,” Ellis looked up at that, “but you're not going to take his job.”

“This is a teaching hospital, Dr. Robbins. If you're not teaching then why would we keep you on staff?”

Arizona swallowed but didn't back down. “You keep me on staff because I'm the best,” she stated firmly. “And Alex Karev has as much talent as he's always had, even without a leg. He's been my pick since his second year. If you drive him away from this hospital it's a mistake.” She squared her shoulders. “Give him the time and he'll be great.”

“And in the meantime you'll do, what, exactly?”

“I'll save children's lives,” Arizona shot back. “I'll teach the residents on my service. I'll do my job, Ellis. Just don't give Alex's away. He's getting sent home soon and he's motivated. I'll cover the department in the meantime.” It would mean a few more late nights a little more often than she'd gotten used to but she could do it. More late nights, early mornings, would mean less time with Callie and the kids, the possibility for more sleep and greater convenience if she spent more nights at her own apartment across the street from the hospital. Arizona held back a sigh. It was just something they'd have to figure out.

Ellis considered her for a quiet moment before she nodded briskly, already onto her next mental task. “Fine, Dr. Robbins. Keep me apprised of the situation.”

Clearly dismissed, Arizona retreated from the office and crossed the catwalk to the stairs. Across the lobby another set of stairs led up to the cafeteria. A quick scan of the room found her group, an empty seat across from Callie and in between Gavin and Allegra waiting for her. Arizona wasn't sure she was even hungry, but Callie had already picked up a salad for her and Arizona gave her a smile of thanks across the table. “Thank you.” One hand tousled Gavin's hair. “Hey, bud.”

“Hey,” he muttered around his mouthful of corndog, the stick in his fist. “Got you a cookie.” He pushed it over without looking up from his plate.

“Thank you,” Arizona repeated with a half-smile. “Mom wouldn't let you have them both?” He shook his head and Arizona laughed. “Sorry, little man.”

Gavin grinned at her and Ellen watched silently. Arizona could feel the older woman's eyes on her but didn't look up from Gavin, just shifted her gaze to her lunch. She wasn't going to change how she related to Callie's children, couldn't distance herself from them, because Owen's mother was watching them. If she had a problem with Arizona spending time with her grandchildren then she'd have to open her mouth and say it.

They let the kids chatter at them while they ate, everyone going still and stiff when Callie's pager went off. She wasn't working but was still carrying it, just in case. Conversation ceased, everyone looking at her for a reaction. It was Owen's room number, Teddy's now familiar number attached, and she knew what was coming. Callie kept her face in control though. She was a professional, knew how to keep her expression unreadable.

“Something you need to do, dear?” Ellen asked, her voice low and gravelly. She knew.

Callie stood up, swallowing a lump in her throat. “Yes, I'm sorry. Guys, you stay with Arizona and be good and I'll be back as soon as I can.” She met Arizona's eyes and her partner rose to her feet, following her away from the table. “It's Owen,” Callie whispered. “I have to go.” Arizona's hand touched her elbow but she couldn't accept a hug right now, no matter how much she wanted to. If Arizona comforted her now she wouldn't be able to maintain her composure. “Can you stay with them? I'll let you know -”

“It's okay,” Arizona told her, rubbing her shoulder soothingly. “Go. I'll be here.” Her face pulled in sympathy but she got her own expression under control before she turned back toward the table. An inclination of Callie's head got Ellen on her feet, marching out on her heels. Callie brushed a hand along her back as she left and Arizona mustered a smile for the rest of the family. She took her seat again and picked up her fork. “What do you guys want to see after lunch? You up for watching a surgery?” Gavin and Allegra looked eager, Gus apprehensive. “It'll be cool,” she coaxed. Something laproscopic, with very little visible gore.

“Mommy won't let us,” Gus said, wavering.

Arizona wrinkled her nose and leaned over to look at him. “We won't tell Mommy, then,” she proposed, offering her free fist for knocks from all three of them. “Alright. Let's finish lunch and we'll see what's on the board.”

It took Gavin only a few minutes (and one hard pat on the back) to finish his corndogs in his eagerness. Allegra was quick on his heels but Arizona took her time with her salad and cookie while Gus worked on his pizza. The second his brother finished with his pudding cup Gavin was jumping out of his seat.

“Okay, hold up,” Arizona called him back. “Everyone has to take their trays to the trash can before we can go.” She had to help the boys reach the flapping door to the receptacle but they succeeded and fell into step with her. All three were bouncing and eager while Arizona scanned the surgical board, drawing more than a few amused glances. Arizona Robbins had a reputation about being not so kid friendly outside of her Peds ward so it was cute to see her wrangling the Torres-Hunt kids. Spotting Meredith Webber's name on the board on a simple procedure Arizona ushered them toward the hallway and the gallery.

It was an easy surgery but the gallery wasn't empty, Cristina Yang sitting in the first row with her arm in a sling. She straightened up in her chair as the kids filed in. “Hey,” she said shortly, eyes jumping from face to face. “What are you doing in here?” she asked in a brusque tone.

Arizona walked them past her and got each child into a seat before she turned back to the other woman. “Actually...” She nodded toward the wall and Cristina stood up to follow her. The room was too quiet and she clicked the intercom for the surgical theater below them. “Dr. Webber, why don't you tell our special guests what you're doing right now,” Arizona requested, needing noise cover. Meredith frowned in confusion over her mask but followed directions and started explaining her procedure to the raptly listening children. “Owen's not going to make it,” Arizona leaned in to whisper. Cristina's face went slack for a moment, her jaw tightening as her eyes jumped over Arizona's shoulder. “I know you were... close,” she continued under her breath. She knew without making the gesture that Cristina wouldn't appreciate a hug. “I'm sorry.”

Cristina nodded without hearing her and sank into the chair at the end of the row, good arm braced on her leg with her hand covering her face. Watching her silently for a moment Arizona was unable to resist patting her shoulder in a gesture of comfort before going up the second row and stepping over the seat back and into a chair beside Allegra. “What's she doing now?” Gavin asked, standing on his own chair to get a better view of what was going on below them.

Arizona wisely stretched one arm behind Allegra to snag a handful of the back of his t-shirt. “She's checking to make sure there's nothing else to fix before they close him up.” From her jacket pocket her phone beeped. Cristina's head rose and Arizona swallowed as she checked the device.

 _'He's gone.'_ She met Cristina's eyes, head shaking minutely, and her hand unconsciously tightened on the soft cotton in her grip.

One handed she typed a response, _'I'm so sorry. What do you want me to do?'_

_'Where are you?'_

_'We're in the gallery of OR 3. We'll meet you?'_

_'Give us a few.'_

Arizona was restlessly fidgeting for the next few minutes while Meredith finished closing, waiting for the phone to make a sound. She knew what was happening, what needed to be done before Callie would want her children in that room to say goodbye to their father – machines to disconnect and remove, unfortunate paperwork, trying to comfort Ellen, getting her own tears under control – and it all took time, but it felt like it was taking forever.

The surgery was over by the time she got the word, the children ready to go find another surgery to watch. Arizona led them back to the patient floor and their mother. Eager chatter died down as they recognized where they were, Callie greeting them at the door. Ellen and Teddy were in chairs against the hallway wall, tears on both faces.

Callie stooped to greet them, tears half dried under her eyes, and gathered an already crying Angus into her arms and took Allegra's hand. Gavin grabbed Arizona's hand when she would have stepped back and she leaned down to pick him up, following Callie into the room.


	21. Chapter 21

Arizona hadn't even turned over and she could feel the eyes on her. Callie hadn't been sleeping well since Owen's death. She hadn't woken up from little knees or elbows this morning though, so this might be the first night one of the kids (or more than one) hadn't come to sleep in bed with them. Right now it was just Callie pressed closed against her back, warm curves, strong arms, legs entwined beneath the sheets. Perfect, gorgeous, heart-stopping chocolate eyes she could feel boring a hole in the side of her head. “You're doing it again,” she grumbled without opening her own eyes.

“I can't look at my girlfriend?” Callie asked, one finger pulling hair back from her ear.

She would have no problem with that if that's what was really happening. It wasn't just _looking_ at her though. It was watching her sleep and having uninterrupted time for private thoughts. But what if one of those private thoughts was that maybe this wasn't working, maybe they needed time as a family, maybe there wasn't room for her here?

Callie leaned in to kiss the skin she'd just uncovered, the hand on Arizona's side sliding across bare skin where her shirt had ridden up while they'd slept. Arizona couldn't help stretching back luxuriously into the contact. “Mmh, I'm glad you're awake,” Callie murmured against her skin.

“Because it's less creepy to watch someone when they're conscious?” asked Arizona, teasing. It earned her a quick pinch to the side. She restrained a yawn and leaned her head back to get a glimpse of Callie's expression. “How did you sleep?” Callie's answer was to bite her lip. “Calliope...”

Callie's eyes fell closed. “I don't – I can't talk about it, Arizona.”

Arizona could only sigh. “Well then what are we doing awake?” She'd learned quickly in the months she'd been with Callie that mornings they could sleep in past the kids were rare and to be treasured. They were all exhausted, having stayed up late in the nights after the funeral. They'd been drowning in grief, the air in the house thick with it, and Callie had been entirely unable to send them to bed. They needed to all be together right now.

At this particular second though, she was grateful to be alone with Arizona. Her partner was incredible, unbelievable, and she thought she'd been in love with her before. These weren't ideal circumstances that they'd started their relationship, she knew that. They'd been together barely six months and she'd gone through a divorce and now a death in the family. It would test any relationship. Arizona had never wavered. Not once. She was strong and supportive, listening when Callie needed to talk and not pushing when she just _couldn't_ talk about it anymore. And Arizona claimed she'd never been cut out to be a mother, but she was doing her damndest to be there for Callie's kids, distracting them when it was too much and giving them a shoulder to cry on when they couldn't bear it for another minute. Callie thought she'd loved her before the crash and everything that had come after, but now she saw infinite new sides to her and couldn't help falling in love with each of them all over again.

“You want me here, right?” Arizona's softly spoken question interrupted the peaceful quiet and Callie's eyes snapped open.

“What? Of course I do. What makes you – why would you think I don't want you here?” The fact of the matter was Callie wasn't quite sure what she was going to do when Arizona started sleeping at her own apartment again. She did know that this wasn't how she wanted Arizona to move in, however.

“You get all quiet, and you're watching me sleep, and you get this look on your face like you're thinking, but I have no idea _what_ you're thinking, but I know how hard things have been lately, so I was thinking that maybe _you_ were thinking that you could all use a little space, and I get it -”

Her ramble was cut off by a sudden kiss, Callie unable to help herself. She just _had_ to kiss her. Callie shifted as Arizona kissed her back slowly, settling her body over her girlfriend's and pressing forward to deepen the kiss. Arizona was hazy and breathless before she withdrew. “Do you want to know what I was thinking about?” Arizona's eyes didn't open but she licked her lips and nodded, chest rising as she breathed in deep. “I was thinking about how much I love you,” Callie told her, happy in spite of everything else going on outside of her bedroom. “Moron.”

Blue eyes blinked open, a smile growing on Arizona's mouth. “Oh, that's nice,” she responded teasingly, head craning up to meet Callie's lips again. Callie's kiss grew deep and eager, Arizona answering her sudden passion. “Mmh, what are we doing?” Arizona asked even as Callie's hand grazed up her side, pushing her thin shirt up an inch at a time.

Callie lifted her head to smirk at her, their lips separating with an audible pop. “I didn't think it had been _that_ long.”

Arizona laughed, kissing her again. “What about the kids?”

“They're asleep,” Callie answered her, palm flattening against silky skin and dragging over the slight bumps of Arizona's ribs. Arizona's head fell back as the contact increased, the thumb that swirled against her skin making her breath come short. The next kiss was surrender, Callie's hands shifting to peel the shirt over Arizona's head. It was dropped without a second thought, one hand guiding a fair head back to the sheets while the other returned to the now bare chest below her, their mouths dueling passionately.

Impatient, Callie's hand slid down Arizona's side after only a few moments to work between their bodies. Her fingertips had just slipped under the band of her partner's panties, Arizona arching into the contact with a moan, when several other things happened at once – Callie's phone going off on the bedside table, the ringer loud and intrusive, and the knob of the bedroom door rattling as little hands fumbled with it from the hall beyond. Callie ripped her hand out of Arizona’s underwear with a groan of dismay.

“Mommy, I'm hungry,” whined Gus pitifully from outside the bedroom, his pleading barely audible over the shrill ringing.

“It's the sex police!” Arizona gasped as she dove under cover just in time. Callie couldn't help laughing, reaching over her prone girlfriend for her phone while Arizona snatched her shirt and jerked it back under the covers with her.

Angus succeeded with the door and shuffled in but didn't say anything when he saw Callie was on the phone. The moving lump under his mother's sheets was curious though and he moved forward to poke the sheets hard. “Ow!” Arizona yelped, finishing with her shirt as quickly as she could.

“Arizona? You in there?” Gus asked, confused.

She jerked the sheets down off her head, hair mussed and tangled. “Who else would it be?”

Thinking about that for a moment Angus shrugged. “Gavin?” He poked at the blankets again more lightly, checking to make sure Arizona's left leg wasn't actually his brother.

“Gav's not in your room?” Arizona asked breathlessly, glancing sideways at the serious expression on Callie's face. “How about we go find him?” Her lack of pants didn't occur to her until she'd already pushed the sheets off and swung her legs out of bed.

Gus didn't seem to care about her bare legs, just grabbed a hand and pulled her toward the door with him. “Can we find something to eat too?”

“Sure, bud,” Arizona agreed, glancing over her shoulder at Callie and getting a tiny smile. Whatever it was on the phone must be serious if Callie wasn't taking full advantage of the view. Arizona knew how big of a thing her girlfriend had for her legs. “We'll be downstairs,” she whispered, a little nod her answer.

Peeking in on Allegra showed that she was still asleep and Arizona took a moment to pull the covers back up over her shoulders and smooth her hair back. “Arizona, breakfast,” Angus grumbled from the doorway. His normal mild temperament had been tested by the stress of the week. None of the kids were acting like themselves, though it was completely understandable under the circumstances.

“I'm coming.” Not the context she'd been hoping she'd say those words this morning, but this was more important. Following Angus down the stairs Arizona couldn't help thinking about that. Before Callie she'd appreciated little more than spending a lazy morning in bed with a beautiful woman. Callie Torres was the most gorgeous woman she'd ever taken to bed, had ever seen, even. But right now their interrupted morning sex was a distant second to helping Callie's children with whatever they needed. As surely as Callie was in her heart her kids had snuck into their own place inside.

Gavin was already in the kitchen, climbing up the side of the cabinets to reach the counter. Arizona stopped him with a sharp whistle. “I'm hungry!” he whined, matching his brother's expression perfectly.

“Well, jump down and I'll fix you something,” Arizona told him. “What are you guys thinking?”

“I want waffles,” Gavin declared. Arizona hesitated though. She'd been told more than once, by each of the kids, that waffles were Owen's specialty. She didn't want to step on any still tender little toes.

“I think we have eggs,” Arizona suggested, making a show of going through the fridge. “And milk, we could do cereal.” She stepped sideways and peered into the pantry. “Or oatmeal?”

“No waffle stuff?” asked Gavin, standing on his toes beside her to try and catch a glimpse of the cabinets himself.

“Not today,” Arizona answered him with a sigh. “Cereal, eggs, or oatmeal, guys?”

“Eggs _and_ oatmeal?” Angus asked hopefully, looking up at her with pale blue eyes, his arms wrapping around her knee. He still wasn't bothered by her absence of pants.

Arizona looked down and smiled. “I can do that,” she agreed. “Can you guys get dishes out of the machine and set the table, please?”

“Yes, ma'am,” Gavin agreed, marching to the dishwasher to do as asked. It was as tall as he was and the door collided lightly with the top of his head.

“You good, buddy?” checked Arizona.

“Yep!” He moved and the door swung down slowly. Arizona watched for a few seconds to make sure things were going smoothly and nudged Angus to help his brother.

Callie came downstairs with a frown on her face and a pair of Arizona's flannel pajama pants over her shoulder. Arizona accepted the clothing with a soft kiss as a thank you. “My legs were getting cold.” Callie only cracked the slightest of smiles. “Anything we can talk about here?” She knew something was wrong, could see it in Callie's eyes, but there were only so many things they could discuss openly in front of the boys.

“No,” Callie whispered, shaking her head. She couldn't talk about her upcoming meeting with a lawyer to discuss Owen's last will and testament while her children listened. She just wanted to get it over with, try and get them through all of this. “Thanks for keeping them busy, and making breakfast, and everything.”

“Of course.” Arizona went through her mental schedule for the week. “I'm picking up Alex's surgeries on Tuesday and Wednesday so I'll probably miss dinner those nights.”

Callie sighed, nodding. “Okay. I've got a meeting after work on Thursday, but I can see if Kepner can keep the kids while I'm -”

“I can bring them home,” Arizona offered. “That's the only night I don't have to cover Karev's caseload.” She'd moved her schedule around to give her a single chance at spending time with Callie this week. It wasn’t worth mentioning now, not when Callie had so much on her plate.

“Maybe we can get together this weekend?” Callie asked, tone tired. “Ellen would like to see the kids. We'd be able to see each other for more than an hour at a time.”

Arizona blinked, momentarily confused. “Um, okay.” She kept scrambling eggs in the pan in front of her. It was more convenient to just go home to her apartment across the street from the hospital, easier for the early mornings and late nights she had in store for her for the next few months. Convenient of not, she'd still had an idea of spending her nights at Callie's house.

“Unless, were you planning on -?” Callie caught on a second too late. “Did you want to stay here? But you're going to be so busy, and your place is right there.”

“You're here,” Arizona countered gently. “But I know you've all got so much going on, and the kids -”

“The kids love you,” interjected Callie. “ _I_ love you.” She stepped to Arizona's side and slipped an arm around her hips, squeezing her side and leaning into her. “I didn't want to ask you about staying here because I know how many surgeries you've got this week.”

“I want to stay,” Arizona told her. It wasn't as unselfish a gesture as it appeared though. The simple, honest truth was that she wanted to be there because Callie and her kids made her happy. If her presence could comfort them at all in return then she was grateful. “As long as it's what you want. If you and the kids need time, space, whatever, I'll stay at my place.” She turned her head to meet Callie's eyes, gaze locking. “If you need to take a day, a few days, a week, anything, I understand.” Callie's eyes went distant as she thought it over and Arizona leaned forward to kiss her softly, just a brief meeting of their lips. “You want some eggs? Or oatmeal? I could cut up some fruit.”

Callie managed a shadow of a smile. “You're amazing. You know that?”

Arizona shook her head. “I love you.”

“You're awesome,” Callie insisted, kissing her lightly and taking a plate from her hands. “Thank you. For breakfast,” she clarified before Arizona could protest gratitude for helping out. “I'll talk to the kids, but I would love it if you'd stay. Only if you want. If the schedules don't work out then don't feel like you have to -”

“Callie, the oatmeal is going to get cold,” Arizona reminded her gently. “We don't have to figure this out right now.”

Callie leaned in for another soft kiss, which Arizona met, and nudged her nose against her partner's. “Just don't lose your key, that's all I'm saying.”

Smiling contentedly, Arizona nodded. “My key?” It was actually Callie's, the ring of house and car she'd given her before Boise. Callie had never gotten them back from her, had picked up her spare set sometime in all the hustle and bustle after she'd gotten home. Of course, it hardly mattered. They'd been together almost constantly since then.

“Yes, so don't lose it. Changing the locks is a pain,” Callie said, shooting a wink at her. “Okay, who wants bananas and who wants strawberries?” she asked the boys.

The Chief had given Callie time off for the week but Arizona was busier than she'd been in months, unable to take more than the day of the funeral off. She had to go back to work after breakfast, hours later than her usual prompt arrival. Arizona almost wanted Ellis to say something to her about it though.

Alex had been covering a lot of cases and she had a lot of work to do to get caught up on but her first stop at work was to see Alex himself. He was less than two weeks post amputation but was already bucking to get started on proactive recovery. Sitting around and waiting to heal was doing nothing for him. It made him easy to find – working out in the hospital's gym. Whatever getting back up required of him Alex Karev wasn't going to fail because he wasn't physically prepared. Arizona could only hope that any setbacks he had, that he was mentally as prepared to deal with them.

“Karev, take a break,” Arizona ordered as she walked in, waving a bottle of water at him. He replaced his weights back onto the rack as he finished his last rep and shifted back into his wheelchair with a now practiced motion.

“Hey, boss,” Alex greeted her breathlessly, taking the bottle gratefully and draining half of it in two long pulls. “Check it out,” he offered, flipping the leg of his athletic shorts back to display his scarred stump to her.

Arizona knelt to look clinically at it, brushing fingers lightly over the neat lines of scar tissue. “It's good work.” She looked up at him seriously. “How's it feel?”

He was wiping his face with a towel but just shrugged. “Tender sometimes, but no lingering pain.” He took another long swallow off his water bottle. His glasses slipped down his sweaty nose and he pushed them back up with two fingers. “I'm thinking I'm going to get fitted for a prosthetic soon,” he told her hopefully.

Arizona smiled, patting his good knee. “That's great! You've got an appointment?” And did he need a supportive coworker to be there with him? Alex didn't have a lot of friends he could rely on, especially since his scandal with Meredith Webber and April Kepner had come to light. Arizona knew he'd never ask her to come though. “When is it?” Her pager beeped on her hip before he could answer her. “Shit, hang on.”

Arizona stepped away to call the Peds desk, Alex watching her pace wistfully from his wheelchair. “Who's that? Your mom?”

The new voice was bitter and harsh, but still soft. Tall, skinny, and covered in tattoos, a young woman was leaning against the wall, watching and fiddling idly with the ends of her long dreadlocks. Alex matched her tone with his own frustration. “She's my boss.” His eyes surveyed her with a scowl. She was wearing what looked like several layers of tank tops to cover her narrow frame, a still fading scar in the center of her chest that cut through one of her tattoos and barely missed a trail of stars that led up her neck. Alex glared at her. “What are you still doing here anyway?” He'd heard about the long lost Grey sister who'd turned up in the ER a wasted junkie with a bad heart. It had quickly become a joke that if she didn't make it out of Seattle Grace it wouldn't be because of her own heart failing her but a direct result of the sheer power of Ellis Grey's loathing.

Her mother's hatred of the younger sister she hadn't known she'd had had only increased Meredith Webber's desire to know the new found Lexie Grey. That was why she was still hanging around this hospital months after she'd gotten her pacemaker.

She shrugged, eyes jumping around the room. Her tongue played with her lip ring while she considered her answer. “Nothing better going on.”

Alex's eyes narrowed behind his glasses. “You look like you're casing the place.”

Lexie rolled her eyes. “I'm not dumb enough to try and score here, dumbass.” Like it or not, she was known here. Meredith was literally the only family she had left (and had turned out to be slightly cooler than she appeared on first meeting), and Ellis couldn't stand the thought of her. So turning up here was often a win/win – her sister would spring for lunch and she got to ruin some cranky old bitch's day.

She wasn't admitting aloud that she was also making an attempt to stay clean. Once upon a time she'd been a good girl, until her parents had died and she'd been left with all the angst of an orphan and no one to disappoint. Maybe she wanted her sister to be proud of her. That was another thing she'd never admit out loud. Molly never would be again, she was fairly certain, but Meredith didn't know how far she'd fallen.

Giving up being high and spending time in a hospital full of drugs was _hard_ though. It made her skin itch to think about, really. So if she needed a breather she'd step in here and watch the people sweating and struggling with their workouts. It helped her, somehow.

Her eyes returned to Alex and the longer she looked at him the darker his expression grew. “What are you looking at?” He wanted to demand that she quit staring but the dark thought occurred to him that everyone was going to look at him like that – staring like she was – for the rest of his life. He didn't have a left leg. He might as well get used to it now. Unable to keep glaring at her Alex swung his gaze to Arizona. She was still moving, free hand covering her ear to block out the noise of the gym and enable her to hear whoever was on the other end of the line. She was watching him though, brows furrowed with concern. He'd heard her say (more than once) that she wasn't mom material but she had the protective instincts down already and she didn't even know it.

Lexie couldn't help a frown when he sighed and his shoulders slumped. She'd been enjoying butting heads with him and she didn't even know his name. And he was hot, even missing a leg. So she did something impulsive, leaning down and in to put a hand on his chest before she moved in and kissed him square on the lips. It was brief, and she made a concentrated effort not to put her tongue in his mouth (she was trying to clean up her act), but his eyes were wide behind his glasses when she pulled back with a smile. “That wasn't your first kiss, was it?”

He floundered like a fish, jaw moving without words escaping.

It was cute and Lexie laughed, tucking a heavy lock of hair behind her ear. “You're all sweaty and pathetic now, but you're hot under the Clark Kent thing.” A bold hand touched his left thigh a few inches above its abrupt end. His eyes jumped down but Lexie wasn't phased at all. “This doesn't change that.” He looked back into her face and swallowed hard. “There'll be chicks lining up for you.”

“Want to get me some names?” he asked, voice horse and strained.

Lexie smirking, winking at Alex almost playfully. “I think you'll know.” He was the one to lean in this time, _his_ tongue slipping between open lips. Lexie kissed him back though, fingers finding the short hair at the back of his neck and holding him in the kiss. Standing up straight as they separated, Lexie took a slow step back and turned toward the doors without saying anything. Alex didn't call after her. He'd be able to find her easily enough.

Arizona slid up beside his chair again but he didn't notice until she cleared her throat, making him jump almost guiltily. “So, who the hell was that with her tongue down your throat?” she asked, her tone less overprotective sibling and more wicked friend.

“My ex-fiancee's half sister,” he answered without looking up at her.

Arizona clapped his shoulder and Alex couldn't tell if it was encouraging or a rebuke. “Nobody can say you don't live dangerous, Karev.” If he wasn't mistaken it sounded like a compliment.


	22. Chapter 22

 Callie surveyed the surgical board with a weary sigh not for herself but for Arizona. She and Cristina Yang were both back at work and the Cardio department was well in hand. Cristina was even more robotic than usual since Owen's death, efficient almost to a fault. Meredith Webber had to drag her out of the OR at the end of the day. No such luck for Arizona. She was covering her own cases and Alex's, with no chance for a reasonable night tonight or any other night this week.

Today they hadn't even had time for lunch together and she was missing her girlfriend. Hopefully Arizona wouldn't be too tired to make the drive to her house tonight. She'd been trying, making every effort, but after a few weeks the long hours were wearing on her. Callie couldn't blame her if tonight was the night she'd be too exhausted for the trip to the suburbs.

She couldn't postpone her own drive home, not with the kids in daycare waiting for her. They were already packed up when she arrived, the look on Allegra's face making her instantly cautious. She knew what they looked like when they wanted something. And all three had the same pleading expression on their faces before she even came through the doors. “What is it?” she asked knowingly as they filed out while she held the door. They were even pulling the polite card. Whatever it was they wanted, they wanted it _bad_.

“Can Arizona come home tonight?” Allegra asked, pleading. Left spiraling after their father's death, Arizona had become part of their stability. Regardless of whatever intentions the adults had.

Callie could only blink in surprise, not expecting that request. “Baby...” She sighed, seeing the disappointment dawning in all of their faces. “She's really busy, so I'm not sure. She's done lots of surgeries today, and she's going to be tired.” She swore Gus' lip trembled. “She wants to come home, guys. If she gets there it'll be after you're all in bed.”

Gavin looked hopeful, his expression brightening. “So Arizona will be home in the morning when we wake up?”

Sighing, Callie made a last second decision in the elevator, pushing the button for the OR floor. “Let's go see her. She's working though so we can't stay long, okay?” There was an eager chorus of agreement and Callie smiled down at them as the elevator rose. It warmed her heart to see how much the kids loved Arizona. Arizona made every effort to be careful with them, being so, _so_ thoughtful with them, helping them, taking care of them, doing everything she could to make every day a little easier for them. She loved them, all of them, without asking for anything in return.

The gallery was empty and Callie followed her children in, flipping the switch to the intercom. “You've got some guests, Dr. Robbins.”

Arizona looked up at the familiar voice overhead, the smile hidden behind her mask visible through her eyes. “Hey! Look at that! It's all of my very favorite people!” A few of the nurses turned to look up into the gallery. “What are you guys doing here?” she asked, appearing as happy to see them as they were to see her.

“Are you coming home tonight?” Gus' plaintive question made Arizona's hands pause in their actions, frown drawing her brows down. “Please?” he added when she couldn't speak right away.

There was a lump of emotion in her throat keeping Arizona from answering and she had to swallow it down. “Um, buddy -”

“I told you that Arizona's very busy,” Callie reminded them, trying to give her partner a break.

“I'll be there,” interjected Arizona hoarsely, clearing her throat. “I promise.”

“For dinner?” asked Gavin hopefully. Callie touched his shoulder and he added, “Or breakfast?”

Arizona sighed. All the good intentions in the world wouldn't have her off work in time for dinner. “I'm not going to make it for supper, but you guys save me some dessert, alright?” All three were lining the window, the boys hanging on the sill by their elbows while they pinned her with the most pouty, pleading looks they could muster. “And I'll make pancakes in the morning,” she offered. “It's my day off so we can play all day if you want.”

“You've got plans with Grandma, remember, but that's very sweet of Arizona, right, guys?” Callie prompted them. “We'll play tomorrow until your grandma comes to get you though.” That way Arizona could get _some_ of her day off to herself. “Now Arizona's in the middle of a very important surgery, so we're going to say goodbye and let her work. Everybody say bye.”

They chorused their goodbyes, Allegra promising to save her some dessert. “Bye, guys. I love you.” The statement made the operating room go still for a moment. Arizona was surprised herself. She was never so personal at work. With Callie, the kids, she just couldn't help herself, though.

Callie's smile was crooked above her. She knew how much Arizona valued her privacy, her professional name at work. The slip of the tongue meant a lot to her though. “I love you too,” she said, not wanting her to be alone in her workplace overshare. The kids promptly echoed it, raising their voices to be heard over each other. Arizona couldn't help smiling behind her surgical mask. “See you when you get home.”

Dinner was their new usual, the kids setting the table while Callie cooked, and then playing until she finished with the food and called them back into the kitchen to eat. Gavin kept glancing toward the door through the whole meal, hoping Arizona would surprise them and show up early. Allegra carefully scooped banana pudding out for Arizona into a glass and insisted on putting plastic wrap on it herself. No one wanted to go up when Callie declared it was time, whining and moping grumpily as they trudged upstairs for baths and bed.

Callie got them tucked in and settled, returning to the couch and flopping down instead of going into the kitchen to clean up right away. She was doing the best she could and since she was a single mother these days cleaning up had slid down the priority ladder. Her priority at this moment was putting her feet up and not moving for just a few minutes. The mess in the sink would wait for a little bit.

She didn't realize she'd fallen asleep until she was woken up by someone climbing onto the couch with her (onto her, really). “Huh?”

“Shh, it's me,” Arizona whispered, breathing deep as she slumped into Callie's chest. “I'm so tired,” she groaned, closing her eyes and melting into the arms Callie pulled around her.

“I'm glad you're here,” Callie said softly. “How were the rest of your procedures?”

“Good. Everything was smooth. How was dinner?”

Callie sighed, combing through soft blonde hair with one hand. “We missed you but no one threw any tantrums. Allegra made you a cup of banana pudding. It's in the fridge.”

“Alright!” Arizona enthused without opening her eyes. Callie's hand had migrated down to rub her shoulders, trailing down her back and up again. “That feels good.”

“Let's go to bed,” suggested Callie in a breath.

Arizona had planned on doing something a bit more _exciting_ than simply going straight to bed but found herself unable to drag her eyes open. Finding Callie dozing on the couch, the lights dim and the house quiet, it had proved too tempting to pass up. Sitting in her lap, waking her up, in her head it had taken a turn toward the sexy but her exhaustion had taken that option away as soon as she was off her feet. Right now she could fall asleep right here, on the couch and on top of Callie.

“Come on,” Callie tried again, rubbing the back of her neck. “I'll turn off all the phones and alarms and we can sleep in tomorrow, I promise.”

Arizona groaned as her partner gently pushed up on her shoulders to dislodge her. “You promise?” she whined grumpily. She could fall asleep if Callie would stop pushing on her like she was doing.

“Even better, the kids are going to Ellen's for the afternoon so we can go back to bed after they leave,” Callie proposed. “Or you can go home.”

In the middle of pushing herself back to her feet Arizona frowned in sleepy confusion. “Huh? Aren't I home? Where do I need to go?”

Callie sat up more swiftly to catch her girlfriend's arm when she wobbled, smiling to herself. Arizona needed sleep but she was adorable all hazy and confused. “You're not going anywhere tonight. Come on,” she coaxed, linking their arms and leading her toward the stairs. Arizona's eyes were closed as she stumbled up the steps but she dragged her feet at the top, pulling them in the other direction. “Where are you going? Our bed's this way,” Callie reminded her, trying to gently steer her toward rest.

“I want to say goodnight,” Arizona mumbled, blinking her eyes open heavily. “I promised.” Callie could only watch from the doorway as Arizona leaned over each of the kids' beds to give them each a kiss and tuck them in, whispering quiet words to them before she returned to Callie's side in the hallway. She could simply react when Callie turned her into her own body and kissed her softly in the hall, looping her arms over the taller woman's shoulder when Callie's arms slipped around her hips. Mouths met and Callie pressed forward to explore leisurely, as if they weren't kissing in the hall in the middle of the night and Arizona wasn't swaying on her feet. “What's that for?” Arizona asked hazily as the kiss slowed to a stop, leaning her forehead against Callie's and breathing deep.

“I love you,” Callie told her simply. Arizona's love for her children was amazing. She was charming and playful with them, but also careful and protective when she didn't have to be. They weren't her kids but she'd stepped up for them after losing Owen and it made Callie love her even more.

Arizona smiled contentedly at the statement. “I love you too.”

Callie caught her arm as Arizona's weight shifted back and she tugged her forward again. “Okay. Bedtime for you.” Arizona let herself be led without complaint, shuffling along behind her. Callie glanced over her shoulder with a smile. Arizona was trusting her implicitly, her eyes closed as she followed her. They got changed in the dark, Callie pretty sure that Arizona didn't open her eyes the whole time, and fell into bed. Arizona flopped flat on her face but let Callie steer her backward into her arms.

No alarms or phones or even pagers disturbed them the next morning, Arizona dragged awake instead by the sunlight in her face. She solved the problem by turning over and burying her face in Callie's shoulder. Callie woke up a few moments later to a halo of blonde hair in front of her face, a smile growing when Arizona let out a grumpy grumble. Obliging her, Callie stretched over and pulled the covers over their heads, shrouding them in warm, soft, darkness.

Arizona's head rose just enough to peck a kiss to her chin. “Thank you, Calliope.” She burrowed into their shadowy bubble drowsily, making a happy noise. “What time is it?”

“Too early,” Callie told her without looking at the clock. She kissed Arizona's forehead softly. “Go back to sleep. I'll take care of the kids when they're up.”

She shook her head but didn't open her eyes. “I promised I'd make breakfast.”

“They'll be fine,” Callie countered. “You need sleep.”

“I need pancakes,”Arizona insisted in a drowsy mumble. Her girlfriend clearly wasn't moving anytime soon though and Callie smiled. Two fingers pushed fair curls back. Arizona was cute when she was all sleepy. “Stop watching me sleep,” Arizona grumble growled, still without opening her eyes.

“But you're so beautiful,” Callie told her honestly, grinning when it won her a glimpse of blue eyes. “I've missed you.”

Arizona turned onto her back, unable to help smiling sleepily. “You're a sweet talker this early in the morning.” She stretched and one hand brushed the tangled mess of her hair. “Oh no.” She narrowed her eyes up at Callie. “You're a sweet talking _liar_.”

Callie's smile was playful. “No, I'm not. You're cute all sleepy and rumpled.”

Arizona rolled her eyes in response. “Okay, I'm going to go take a shower and fix this,” she declared with a gesture toward her hair, grunting softly as she started to sit up.

“Want company?” asked Callie even as her arms tugged Arizona back to the sheets with her.

“Or we could stay here,” Arizona suggested with a chuckle. She didn't protest snuggling into Callie's side again though. “How long do you think we have until they're awake?”

Callie sighed, leaning on the arm that was under Arizona's neck. The other hand traced lightly across her lover's collarbone, down her chest. Brown eyes trailed the touching, following the path of her fingers across soft cotton. “Not long enough,” Callie declared, her voice husky.

It had been a long few weeks but Arizona knew what that tone, that look, meant. “We should get up,” she said hoarsely. “Get started on breakfast.” If they got started on anything else she wasn't sure they could stop before they got inevitably interrupted.

Callie's head dropped and she groaned. “Arizona, I hardly see you,” she complained. Her hand flattened against the prone woman's midriff and Arizona's breath caught.

“We have all day,” Arizona reminded her, fighting the impulse for her eyes to roll back in her head. “No rush.”

“We have until breakfast,” corrected Callie, her tone amazingly similar to Allegra's when she was whining.

Arizona smiled, amused at the resemblance. She roamed one hand through mussed dark waves. “Why's that?”

Callie huffed and Arizona had to imagine that she was nearly pouting but she couldn’t see her face. “Because it's your first day off in weeks and I assume you want to get groceries and check your mail, things people do on their days off.”

Arizona blinked as she realized Callie's expectations for the rest of the day. As far as she was concerned they could spend the rest of the day in this bed as soon as the kids were in their grandmother's car. She felt a delighted smile break out and she wrapped both arms around Callie's shoulders, pulling her down on top of her in a hug. “Callie, I basically live here. The fridge in my apartment has been empty for about a month except for a jar of pickles.” She'd realized that the hard way one night she'd gone there to sleep and found nothing but an empty refrigerator and cold sheets. It had been a five minute detour before she'd gotten back in the car and gone to Callie's house. “And all my bills are online now. The mail's just junk.”

Callie's head popped up. “You're staying?” Her grin was eager and hopeful.

Arizona laughed happily. “I was planning on it.” Breakfast with the kids and then some time alone with Callie sounded like the perfect day off to her. “If that's alright with you.”

Callie leaned in for a quick kiss, unable to resist taking another kiss right away. Arizona let her in without hesitation, eyes falling closed as she let the kiss deepen. For what felt like weeks they'd only managed to grab quick pecks in the locker room at work, kisses kept soft and short around the children. Now they didn't have to keep it chaste and neither one was sure they could stop. Callie's fingers curled into her t-shirt as they kissed but she forced herself to pull back when the heel of her hand grazed bare skin as she unconsciously bunched the shirt and the hem rose. Both were breathless as their mouths broke apart, Callie decisively flopping onto her back in an attempt to diminish the temptation to keep Arizona in bed with her all day.

“I'm going to take that as a yes,” Arizona panted, laughing and stretching against the sheet. The sheets were rumpled and caught up around her legs. Her head fell sideways and she grinned at Callie. “Do you want to take the first shower and I'll get started on breakfast?”

Callie mostly just wanted to stay with Arizona. “I'll help with breakfast. I feel like being a little lazy this morning.”

Arizona smirked knowingly. “That's going to make Allegra jealous that she has to get dressed.”

Breakfast was almost normal, at least closer than they'd managed in the weeks since the crash, the kids happily telling them about everything they were going to do with their grandmother. It was nice, being able to feel the edges of their cloud of grief receding, if only for a few hours. Anything that made her children happy, could make them smile, made Callie happy. Arizona went to answer the knock on the door and Gus broke away from his breakfast to chase after her sporting a wide grin.

Callie heard her girlfriend greeting Ellen Hunt, Angus echoing her quietly. He was tucked against Arizona’s side when they returned to the kitchen. “Look who's here, guys,” Arizona told them, the arm under Gus' butt bouncing him lightly.

“Everybody go get ready,” Callie requested of the children. “And don't forget to brush your teeth.”

Gus was the last to scamper out after Arizona set him down, leaving the three adults in silence in the kitchen. “It's nice to see you again, Arizona,” Ellen said after a moment, her throat bobbing as she swallowed. “The kids seem to be doing well.”

“They're excited about spending the day with you,” said Callie warmly, giving her a smile. “Thank you for offering.”

Ellen swallowed again and she nodded. Where the children seemed to be having a good day she was wearing the grief of losing her son like a shroud in the hunch of her shoulders, the lines around her mouth. “They're all I have left of him.”

Callie's smile went stiff, unsure what to say. The fact was her loss of Owen was different than the children's or even Ellen's. He was the same man but had meant different things to each of them – father, son, former lover. “Any time you want to see them you know they'd love it,” she told her gently. “How are you doing?” Like her son, Ellen Hunt was reluctant to talk about her feelings even on her best day.

Sure enough, Ellen's gaze dropped and she shook her head. “Can we get you anything?” Arizona asked thoughtfully. “Coffee? Tea? Pancakes?”

Ellen straightened up suddenly, her shoulders squaring. She had brown eyes, unlike Owen and the twins' blues, but when she narrowed her gaze at Arizona her expression sharply resembled her son. “You – you're always around -” Arizona's eyes went wide but she didn't speak, one hand on Callie's arm keeping her from interjecting. She'd seen Ellen's eyes on her more than once when she was with the kids, watching them interact but so far not commenting. Whatever questions the older woman had for her she was ready. “You didn't know my son, did you? But you're here, in his house, with his family.”

“We weren't close, no,” Arizona told her honestly. “But he was a good man, and he has wonderful, amazing children.” Callie swallowed the emotional lump in her throat and squeezed Arizona's hand. “I love them very much.”

Eyes locked and Callie was sure she wasn't breathing while she waited for someone to move or speak. Arizona could handle herself. She didn't want to be in the middle of hurt feelings and territorial disputes. Ellen's mouth twisted, her hands wringing in front of her. “You can't leave them.” She blinked, gaze flicking toward Callie. She kept addressing Arizona directly though. “No matter what happens with you and Callie. If you make those kids a promise, you do whatever it takes to keep it.”

Arizona stepped forward quickly and caught her elder's shaking hands with her own steady, careful grasp. She ducked her head just slightly to catch her eyes again. “I promise you. No matter what,” she stated. “As long as the kids want me in their lives, I'll be there.” She tried a smile and Ellen nodded, blinking quickly to keep tears at bay. “I love them.”

“I know,” Ellen agreed, her voice soft and sad. “I can see it. I've seen it for months.” Her eyes jumped to Callie. “I just want them to remember their father. My son -”

“He's their father,” Callie said softly, meeting her gaze squarely. “That won't ever change.” She glanced sideways at Arizona as she stepped forward to her side. “No matter how close Arizona and I get, no matter what happens with us, how close Arizona gets to the kids, they're not going to ever have another father. Owen is their father.” One gentle hand reached for Ellen's shoulder. “No one's going to forget him, Ellen. I promise.”

The clatter of quick footsteps on the stairs drew them back, Ellen wiping her eyes furtively while Arizona stepped forward to keep them distracted. She got their jackets and backpacks on them by the time Callie and Ellen joined them and Callie stooped to get hugs and kisses from all three. “Everybody be good for Grandma, okay?”

She got a round of agreements from them and stood up. “Later, guys,” Arizona said with a smirk and a small wave. “Have fun!” Gus tugged on her hand until she leaned over, darting forward to kiss her cheek and dashing out the door. His siblings followed suit with hugs and high fives. Arizona caught Ellen's eye but there was a hint of a smile teasing the corner of her mouth, the lines lighter.

There was a quiet atmosphere in the air after Callie shut the door behind them, the whole house more silent in the wake of the kids' departure. Callie sighed into the quiet, the flirty morning in bed dampened by Ellen's grief. It felt wrong to just drag Arizona back to bed now. “Well...”

“It's okay,” Arizona told her, taking a deep breath of her own. “I kind of thought that would happen sooner or later.”

Callie's mouth quirked into a small smile. Seen it coming and known exactly what to say to soothe Ellen's fears. Arizona Robbins was amazing. “Thank you. For what you said. For everything, really.”

“You're welcome,” said Arizona warmly. Callie wasn't why she'd said what she'd said. She loved Allegra and Gavin and Angus. She'd never dreamed of having children, couldn't imagine it for herself. These weren't her children. They needed her though, and she loved them. She wasn't their parent but they weren't just her little buddies anymore. They were more to each other now, even if she didn't have a word for the relationship. And that relationship was separate from hers with Callie.

“It's always so quiet when they're not here,” Callie commented, glancing around the empty house. “I'm still not used to it.” She wasn't alone, however. She and Arizona were alone _together_ in her empty house. “So what now?”

Arizona's smile widened and she laughed suddenly. “Well, we had an idea going earlier that I could get on board with, but if you'd rather do laundry...” Her eyebrows bobbed playfully. “Or we can talk,” she offered more seriously. The morning hadn't exactly gone as planned. If Callie was upset, emotional about anything, then that came first.

Callie hesitated but a smile gradually blossomed to answer the expression on Arizona's face. “We could do the laundry,” she mused, teasing her. Two fingers plucked at her shirt, fanning it lightly away from her chest. “But we should probably take a shower, right?”

Arizona stepped forward to kiss her, soft and slow. “We definitely need to shower,” she agreed under her breath, lips brushing against Callie's as she spoke. The next kiss was deeper, Arizona stumbling as she backpedaled toward the stairs. Callie's hands on her sides kept her from falling, though. Arizona had to use either hand to keep them from falling on the fumbling flight up the stairs, catching them against the steps, the railing on the wall.

It was a relief to reach the second floor, Callie already peeling Arizona's thin t-shirt over her head and dropping it carelessly in the hallway. Arizona's fleet fingers worked on the drawstring of her pajama pants, Callie letting them fall as they reached the bedroom. Arizona’s shorts were off by the time they hit the wall just beside the bathroom door, Callie's shirt following the path to the floor just inside the bathroom. The last remnants of clothing were left in a trail to the shower, Callie tugging the stall door closed behind them even as Arizona stretched a hand behind them to turn on the water.

The initial blast was cold but it warmed up quickly, the tile of the shower wall chilled against Arizona's back. Her body recoiled away from the contrast in temperature but there was nowhere to go, Callie's warm curves holding her in place. Leaning in for another extended series of deep, dragging kisses, Callie let her hands slip over skin that was rapidly growing slick as steam started to cloud around them.

She could taste the sweat beginning to bead on Arizona's neck as the steam grew heavier, hear her lover panting for breath against her ear, feel her pulse jumping under her tongue. Water droplets washed out the sweat on her chest as Callie's kisses trailed down, Arizona's fingers wet and catching in her hair as they clutched her head to her own breast. Callie's hands attended to the unengaged breast while her lips, tongue, and teeth worked in tandem to give Arizona pleasure.

“Calliope...” Her name, spoken in that wanton, breathy tone, made Callie moan herself against soft flesh. “Callie, please.”

The next kiss was higher but her hand slipped lower, moving with her leg to edge Arizona's open. The pinned woman complied immediately, groaning in approval when fingers found a slickness entirely different from the water of the shower between her thighs.

“Kiss me,” Arizona requested breathlessly. Their position against the shower wall was fortunate, a corner in reach allowing her to plant her left foot, opening her for Callie's exploring fingers. Her lover did one better, free hand hauling her right leg up over her own thigh. Her body held Arizona's up ably, blue eyes widening at the display of strength. They fell closed uncontrollably as Callie's right hand took full advantage of her flexibility.

Unable to kiss Arizona with her head thrown back against the tile as it was Callie pressed kisses to her chest, her throat. Two fingers slid inside and Arizona’s body bucked against her. “Oh, God, yes...” Head falling forward, Arizona caught her mouth in a hard kiss. It had been a long week, a long month, and she could already feel her partner's body responding, the tension in every bone, every muscle of her girlfriend's frame. Arizona needed to come, needed it badly. Callie quickened her pace as Arizona's teeth pulled on her lip, thumb rolling across her clit as her fingers moved inside.

The water beat down around them as Callie's hand worked to bring her up. It would have been embarrassing how quickly she was nearing her peak if she didn’t need the release so badly. Arizona could feel the sensation rolling in waves through her entire body, beating in her chest and stomach, warmth shooting down the length of her arms and legs like shocks of lightning. The explosion, when it came, was utter release and relief, satisfaction making her limp and loose in Callie's arms. Her legs were dropped gently to the ground, Callie stepping in closer to hold her up while Arizona breathed hard and struggled to regain her ability to stand on her own.

Arizona let her face drop into Callie's shoulder as her heart raced and breath came one open mouthful at a time. Callie kissed her temple gently and she reciprocated with a soft nibble, teeth dragging lightly over her shoulder.

“You okay?” Callie asked, hand liberated from between them and brushing damp hair back.

Her head lolled back to meet contented brown eyes. “Really?” She breathed deep and held it, a smile following it out. “I'm awesome,” she sighed almost dreamily. “And you're _super_ awesome.” She blinked, definitely still hazy but starting to regain her higher brain function. “How big is your hot water heater?” It felt like they should have been chased out by frigid water already.

Callie couldn't help herself, the question making laughter burst out entirely beyond her control. “It's big enough, don't worry.”

Arizona's smile went playful, teasing. “Good to know.”


	23. Chapter 23

 Arizona was fairly easy to find lately, constantly in her office, the OR, or in the PT wing tracking her protege's recovery after his amputation. Callie had managed to convince her to start taking lunch breaks in the on-call room on the ICU floor in bed with her most days though. So when she couldn't find her on the OR board, her office, or in the on-call room, Callie went directly to the physical therapy gym. Arizona was leaning against the wall of windows when Callie turned the corner, distracted from her own heavy thoughts by the frown and furrowed brows her partner was wearing. “Hey, what's wrong?” Callie took her own glance through the window where Alex Karev was more than halfway down the length of the parallel bars, slow but steady on his new leg. “He looks like he's doing really well but you don't look happy,” she commented. “What's up?”

Arizona's displeased scowl didn't waver. “It's that girl – Lexie, or whatever-” Lexie Grey was at the end of the mats, waiting for Alex to reach her. She was grinning in encouragement, her dreadlocks pulled back from her face in a loose, low ponytail. Callie was pretty sure the young woman was leaning over to flash him her cleavage deliberately but she seemed wholly supportive.

“Don't tell me you're jealous,” Callie teased immediately, earning her a sidelong roll of blue eyes. “It's sweet that you're so protective, but he's a big boy. And she's cute.” Arizona shot her another pointed look and Callie smirked. “Good for him.” Her smile went soft. “He needs someone. And I think he's a good influence on her.”

“You mean she showered today?” shot back Arizona, watching as Alex reached the end of the bars and the waiting woman shifted his glasses to the crown of his head before leaning in to kiss him slowly. The couple outside couldn't hear them but the pair in the gym laughed as they separated, Lexie retrieving a towel for Alex.

“Be nice,” Callie murmured, one hand sneaking into Arizona's. “If you could spare a minute from stalking your boy, I need to talk to you.” She was bouncing the edge of a folder against her leg.

“I'm swamped but I'll make time to consult for you,” Arizona said, reaching for the file.

Callie smiled and dodged it out of her reach. “It's not a case. I know how busy you are.”

Arizona's frown returned but she followed Callie from the windows. “No? What is it, then?”

Expression sober, Callie set the folder on the nurse's desk and flipped it open. “You know I've been dealing with all of Owen's stuff, setting up trusts for the kids and everything, and the lawyer thought I should update some of my stuff too while we were already working on things.”

“So...” Arizona said slowly, though there weren't many reasons Callie might want to involve her in any of that. She sank almost weakly into the chair at the desk, her mind swimming.

Callie sighed heavily, not sure how to broach the subject. “I just – nobody sees the big changes coming, you know. And I love you, and the kids love you -” Arizona reached forward to pluck a pen from the cup in front of her. There were tabs where she needed to sign and she scribbled her signature on the first page it was indicated. “Whoa, don't you even want to know what you're signing?” Callie asked, blinking in surprise at the immediate agreement.

“If it takes care of you or the kids, I'm in,” Arizona declared, shrugging her shoulders. She started to flip to the next tab.

Callie reached a hand down to stop her though. “Okay, I'm glad, and touched, but can we go through it at least? Please? If there's anything you don't like I can get it changed.” She'd spent hours with the lawyers over the last few weeks working on the details and she didn't expect Arizona would disapprove of anything but she wanted to be sure.

“Okay,” Arizona agreed, scanning the first page. Callie let her read quietly, waiting on a reaction as she neared the first signature she'd already done. “So you want me to make your medical decisions.” She looked up to meet Callie's eyes.

Callie swallowed, nodding. She sat down lightly on the edge of the desk beside Arizona. “It was Owen, but that's not going to work. I -”

Arizona's hand on her knee stopped her gently. “I'm your girl,” she promised in a soft tone. “The kids? You don't want Ellen, or your parents?”

“You're here, and you love them, and they love you,” Callie explained simply. “If they're sick or hurt and I'm not around I want you making the choices about their care.” She breathed in deep and held it, her gaze dropping to her own lap. “If I'm not here anymore, they need you.”

Arizona decisively signed the last of the indicated pages and squeezed her partner's knee. “You're not going anywhere, Calliope,” she reminded her. But now whatever happened their bases would be covered. Arizona cleared her throat lightly. “While we're having deeply personal conversations at work I'm going to mention that my lease is up at the end of the month.”

Callie blinked, a smile already growing on her lips. Arizona didn't come right out and ask though, fiddling idly with a wrinkle in Callie's skirt. “Oh?”

Blue eyes rolled, a smirk quirking her mouth. “Are you going to make me ask? Most of my stuff is already there, and -”

“Oh, _that's_ romantic,” Callie cut in to tease her lightly.

Arizona rolled her chair back and guided Callie's knees open to give her space to get closer. If Callie wanted romantic, she could do romantic. “You're there, and the kids are there, and I can't sleep anymore without listening for Gus getting up to go potty five minutes after we put him down.” Callie's smile was soft, loving. “Waking up with you, coming home to you, it's the best part of my day,” Arizona continued, one hand on either knee as she edged her chair forward slowly. “And the days where I don't have to leave in between waking up and falling asleep beside you, Calliope, those are the best days.” She grinned when Callie blinked back happy tears. “Even the days when we don't do anything but laundry and dishes and grocery shopping. Any days I can have with you, with them, I want every single one.”

Maybe she had more to say but Callie couldn't hear it, leaning forward to catch Arizona's face between her hands and kissing her without caring that they were at work. “Turn in the keys to your place tomorrow,” she breathed against her mouth, taking another deep, plundering kiss.

“So that's a yes?” Arizona checked teasingly. “I'm not sure I need to give the keys back until next week though.”

“You're done sleeping there,” Callie told her, the next kiss shorter and softer. “Get your clothes or whatever tonight after work and come home.”

Arizona was grinning as she leaned back to catch her eyes. “I haven't slept there in months,” she said as a gently teasing reminder. Callie smiled happily and it made her heart jump. “I love you.” Callie echoed her with a happy sigh.

Behind them Alex wheeled himself out of the gym, Lexie following behind him. “Hey, boss, put me on the schedule for next week,” he called over, winded but excited.

Arizona laughed, spinning on her chair to face him. “You know the deal, Karev. Rounds before surgery.” And he wasn't there yet, though he was doing _very_ well.

He slapped the side of the wheelchair. “I'll do a ride along this afternoon,” he declared promptly. “Do we have a Cardio case?”

“ _That_ is a booty call,” Lexie snarked under her breath from behind Alex.

Arizona's jaw tightened and Alex wheeled back instinctively. “We're going to go.”

Slipping off the desk as the pair fled Callie turned Arizona back to face her. “I mean, we _could_...” she joked, hoping to win a smile. “Hey, what if we get Ellen to watch the kids tonight?” Callie suggested quickly when the joke was unsuccessful.

“Date?” Arizona perked up right away. A grin broke out. “Yes. If Ellen's available.”

“I'll call her and ask.”

At her waist Arizona's pager beeped. “They need me in the pit.” Good thing Alex had already gone or she felt sure he'd tail her down there. “Let me know what she says?”

“Of course.” Callie pulled her back for one more quick kiss before letting her go.

The ER was as organized as it had ever been under Owen's leadership, now run with the same military precision under Teddy Altman. Ellis had made the visiting Army surgeon a job offer shortly after Owen's funeral, needing someone capable of maintaining her hospital's stellar reputation. The fact that her best candidate was the predecessor's grieving best friend probably didn't enter her mind. Teddy had waffled for a few days before accepting the job, speaking privately with Callie before she'd agreed to stay in Seattle.

The tall blonde Trauma surgeon was good at her job, every bit as talented as Owen had been, but she was isolated, didn’t go out with the other surgeons after work, didn't seem to have anyone she talked to beyond chitchat in the halls with Callie, mostly about Cardio cases she'd heard about.

Coming out of the trauma room her case was vacating Arizona spotted Teddy at the computer and backpedaled a step to catch the other woman's eyes. “Hey!” It was a bright greeting and Teddy could only blink at her at first. She and Arizona had had a few small, polite conversations around Owen's memorial and funeral but nothing since then.

“Dr. Robbins,” Teddy said slowly. “Can I help you with anything?”

“What are you doing tonight?” Arizona asked her without further preamble. “The reason I ask is that Ellen's going to watch the kids, so me and Callie were going to go out.”

“You want me to come on a date with you two?” asked Teddy slowly. “Um -”

Arizona shook her head quickly. “No, not like a date. Like a girl's night! It'll be fun! We'll get some drinks, shoot darts, just hang out. Callie's really good at darts!” She grinned cheerfully. “Please? You've been in town now for a few months and we only ever see you at work.” Of course Teddy's history with Callie's husband could be a big reason for that. There was nothing to be done about it now though but move forward, and Arizona was perfectly willing to be the one to make the first gesture. She could poke, encourage, but she couldn't force it. “I'd love to buy the first round if you're free,” she offered, smiling and waving as she turned to walk away.

Teddy wasn't sure why she spoke up but she did. “I'll be there.” Maybe she was tired of being alone in a new city with no friends and maybe Arizona was only making the offer because she felt bad for her, but she'd take what she could get today. “Where, exactly? And when?”

Arizona grinned happily, pleased with her success. “Joe's, at eight. It's right across the street, so you can't miss it.” Clapping her hands eagerly Arizona went up on her toes. “Yay!” It earned them a few stray glances but Teddy smiled shyly as Arizona walked briskly toward the elevators.

In the elevator Arizona reached for her phone. Callie had sent her a text that Ellen was good to babysit and she hit the button to redial her girlfriend. “Hey, you.”

“Hey, so I kind of did something,” Arizona jumped right in. “We're having girl's night with Teddy now. I hope that's okay, but she's going to meet us at Joe's at eight.”

“Teddy – Teddy Altman Teddy, that Teddy?” Callie asked, confused.

“Well, yeah. She's actually the only Teddy I know,” answered Arizona, her tone amused. “I just – I saw her in the ER and I thought it would be nice. She's new in town, and -”

Callie cut in, “It's nice. It's a good idea.”

“You're not mad?”

“No, of course not! What time are we meeting her?” It was a surprise, and not how she'd planned on spending the evening out with Arizona, but she was more than willing to make friends with Teddy Altman.

“Eight.” Arizona's sigh of relief was audible, as was her cheerful tone.

The last few hours of their shifts went quickly, Callie and Arizona taking the kids to Ellen's before returning downtown just in time to meet Teddy at the bar. The tall, thin, long-haired surgeon was leaning on her elbows at the bar, playing idly with a stirrer in her drink when they arrived. A glance over her shoulder when the bell over the door chimed spotted them as they'd entered. “Hey.” Taking her drink, Teddy stood up to greet the couple.

“Hey!” Arizona was still cheerful, grinning as she waved at Joe. Her gaze caught the eyes of a familiar busty brunette at the corner of the bar, a pharmaceutical rep she'd spent the occasional pleasurable night with before she'd gotten into a relationship with Callie, and her smile froze for a split second. “How about we get a table?” she suggested. She and Callie were moving in together and she didn't want to explain some random woman to her girlfriend and her (hopefully) new friend at the start of their girl's night.

The high top near the dartboard was occupied but Callie led them to a corner booth and slipped in across from Teddy. “Can you get me a Jameson on the rocks with a slice of lime?” Callie requested of her girlfriend. “Thank you.”

Arizona's smirk was crooked. “This is my future now, isn't it? Fetching things for you?” she teased good-naturedly, leaning over for a brief soft kiss. “Teddy, can I get you another? I promised to buy the first round.”

Teddy smiled but shook her head, rolling the amber liquid around in her glass. “You can get the next one, thanks.”

“Absolutely.” Arizona shot her a wink. “I'll be right back, ladies.”

Teddy was amused by Callie's patient smile, smirking when her head dipped sideways to watch her departing girlfriend's ass. “She's quite the character,” she commented, taking a sip of her drink.

“She is,” agreed Callie warmly. How she felt about her girlfriend was clear in her voice. “I hope she didn’t twist your arm too hard to get you here.”

“Nah,” Teddy denied it with a laugh. “It was nice of her to offer. I hope I didn't crash plans you had.”

Callie shook her head in a negative. “Not at all.” Her smile faded, became more sober. “I've been meaning to catch up with you.”

“Yeah, me too,” agreed Teddy with a strained smile of her own.

“How have you been -?” they asked in unison, the echo making them both smile more naturally. “Sorry, you -” Callie offered quickly.

“How about we get a coffee some time and we can talk?” Teddy countered as Arizona leaned over the bar to be heard. “It's not a very cheerful topic, is it?” She gestured toward the blonde with her stirrer, the end chewed up. “I don't want to be the one to rain on her parade.”

Callie's fond smile returned in a heartbeat. “Yeah.”

Even as lonely as she found herself Teddy couldn't help smiling as the affection in her voice. “You two seem really happy. I'm glad.”

“We are. Thank you. She's actually moving in.”

“Oh, that's great! Congratulations!” Arizona returned then and Teddy cocked her glass in the other woman's direction. “Cheers.”

“Thanks!” Arizona agreed without even knowing what they were talking about.

“You and Torres are shacking up.”

“Oh, right! Yes! Thanks!” she agreed more enthusiastically. “Cheers!” They clinked glasses and she slipped onto the bench with Callie. “How are you liking Seattle? It seems like you're always at the hospital. Every time I'm in the ER you're there. Have you gotten to explore at all or is Ellis working you too hard?”

Teddy smiled and took a sip. Staying around the hospital had been her decision, though Ellis Grey hadn't seemed to disapprove of her apparent dedication to her work. There wasn't much to do in a new town where she knew no one outside of the hospital. Owen hadn't ever been particularly fond of sightseeing when they got leave but he'd promised a tour of Seattle. She had his personal guarantee that she'd love it. “Working is simpler than trying to figure everything else out.” She pulled a sheepish grimace. “I don't even have a place yet. I've been crashing in on-call rooms.” Part of her still couldn't believe that she'd really done it – quit the Army to join the staff of the best hospital in the nation. An even larger part of her couldn't believe that her best friend was gone.

Arizona clapped loudly, distracting Teddy from her more morose thoughts. Across the table blue eyes were wide and blinking, beaming at her. “I've got it! You can take my place!” she declared happily. “It's perfect! It's right down the block!”

“What? This block?” asked Teddy, amused by her eagerness.

“Yeah! It's right across from the hospital! It would be awesome for you since you're in and out of the ER at all hours.”

It did make sense. An easy solution to a problem she'd had no energy to try solving. “Maybe I'll check it out,” she offered. If she could see herself putting down roots here. Seattle or anywhere else was all the same to her at this point. Ellis had offered her a temporary contract but she had no doubt she could get a permanent offer anytime she wanted. She just wasn't sure if she wanted to settle in the place Owen had called home.

“Ooh, the dartboard is open,” Arizona noted before the silence had a chance to grow awkward. “You guys want to play?” Eager to distract herself from more thinking about Owen, Teddy was already sliding out of her seat with her glass in one hand. “I'm going to win!”

Callie arched an eyebrow at her girlfriend's playful confidence. “I don't think so,” she denied, following her out of the booth and surreptitiously grazing her ass with a hand.

“You both need to drink more,” Arizona complained less than an hour later when her score was only half of either of her companions. Callie just laughed, high fiving Teddy just to watch Arizona glare at her.

“You need to step your game up, Robbins,” Teddy countered, teasing her. The Peds surgeon had clearly never played with Owen Hunt. He'd always been able to defeat her with ease. Callie was good but she got the impression they hadn't played many games together in the last few years. She took the final sip of her drink as she threw her next dart, making a point of not looking at the board when she let it go. It missed the mark she'd been intending but made her point and her lead grew.

Arizona could just gape at her, closing her jaw with a click of her teeth. “I'm going to get everyone more drinks.” Callie was still laughing but drained the last of her liquor with a laugh. “Beers good with everybody?” checked Arizona even as she left for the bar.

“She's a bit competitive,” Teddy commented, smirking as she watched Callie line up her next shot.

“Aren't we all?” Callie's dart hit where she'd aimed, narrowing Teddy's lead. They'd been idly comparing surgeries since they'd started the game and she could admit when she was impressed. She was almost surprised that Ellis hadn't offered Teddy _her_ job. Her Trauma background made her a perfect fit for the ER job though.

Teddy took her next shot quickly, deliberately placing the dart close enough to Callie's that the plastic fletching touched. The taller surgeon smirked but refrained from gloating. Callie's eyes narrowed at the other woman and then at the board. “You should have let Owen teach you a few things.”

“I used to beat him,” Callie protested indignantly.

Teddy laughed, her head falling back. “He wanted in your pants.”

Callie's cheeks flushed and she hoped desperately that the bar's dim lighting would hide it. “Where's Arizona?” The bar had gotten more crowded since their arrival but she spotted her partner's blonde ponytail at the counter top. A dark head was leaned in, the two talking close in the bustle. Gesturing to Joe, Arizona nodded her head toward the bathroom. He gave her a grin and nod as he popped the tops on their beers. The brunette at the bar sighed in disappointment as the surgeon left her behind in her stool while Callie and Teddy watched from the far side of the room, the observers exchanging glances.

Neither said anything when the patron drained her glass and followed Arizona into the bathroom.

Teddy waited a beat. “Oh, I wish she'd brought those drinks over here before _that_ happened.”

Callie couldn't help herself, a laugh bursting free. Anyone else and she'd assume the worst, seeing something like that. But she had no doubts about Arizona's fidelity. It was ludicrous to even consider. She wasn't an idiot. She knew her girlfriend had a history. They were moving in together though. Arizona had brought it up herself, hadn't hesitated to sign the medical decision forms today. There was no question in her heart that Arizona was committed to her, to her kids.

But devoted or not, Arizona was hot. Very, _very_ hot. More than likely there was more than one woman in here tonight who'd once been in the Peds surgeon's bed. That thought succeeded in tarnishing Callie's mood just slightly, brown eyes surveying the crowd for likely possibilities.

She'd noticed that Arizona had a thing for dark hair and had five or six likely ladies pegged before Arizona returned with their beers, the necks laced between her fingers. Teddy snagged hers promptly but lingered for an awkward quiet moment before she took a pull and turned toward the dart board. “I'm gonna -”

Arizona handed Callie a bottle and tracked the clear retreat. “Was it something I said? Or did I interrupt something?”

“Who's the girl at the bar who followed you into the bathroom?” asked Callie, a brow arching.

Arizona blinked but swallowed her sip of beer. “We saw each other. Briefly. Before you, obviously.”

“You mean you slept with her.” Arizona didn't deny it. “And how many others in here have you slept with?”

Arizona took another pull from her drink, longer than the first. “Are we really talking about this?” she asked. She wasn't ashamed of her history but she felt like detailed discussion of it with her lover would only serve to antagonize Callie. “Do you want names? Or should I give you a total?”

Callie grimaced, glancing from side to side. “No,” she decided, sighing heavily. Maybe ignorance was bliss. “I think I hate your apartment now though, thinking about you taking all those women home.”

Arizona surprised her with a smile, taking a step closer and catching the front of Callie's belt with her free hand. “I'm getting rid of my apartment, remember? I live with _you_ now.” Her eyes sparked as Callie's teeth chewed on her lower lip. She'd made love to Callie for the first time in that apartment – she could never hate it there. She supposed she could see Callie's point though. She'd had a lot of sex in that apartment. It was just sex though. Callie was the only one who meant anything. “You know what I know? The only woman who matters to me is the one I'm going home with tonight.”

Callie couldn't help herself, melting beneath blue eyes, the dimpled smile just starting to grow, the sincerity in her partner's words. “You're very smooth,” she acknowledged, smiling herself. “I can see how you got all those women.”

Arizona didn't take the bait, rising on her toes and looping both arms around Callie's shoulders. “I've got the only woman I want right here.”

Teddy cleared her throat before anyone could approach a kiss, beer in one hand and darts in the palm of her other hand. “Can we play again before you two run off to the bathroom to make out?” She rolled her shoulders as Callie's eyes narrowed at her, equal parts competitive and sexually frustrated.

Arizona spoke for them both as she snatched the darts from their new friend's hand. “You're on!”


	24. Chapter 24

Callie knew it was early, her bedroom not yet lit with any hint of hazy dawn. There was no chance that any of her children were already awake. She wanted to keep it that way, wanted to keep them in their beds so that she and Arizona could stay in their bed. Because what was going on in their bed was very, very good. Or it was getting very good, anyway. Arizona's schedule was less brutal than it had been now that Alex was allowed to stand on his prosthetic for the hour an appendectomy took. Other than the simplest of procedures he was limited to paperwork and consults so he lunged on every surgery he could get. It had helped Arizona get home a little earlier in the evenings though, allowed her to not make her mornings any earlier than they had to be.

They could be sleeping but Arizona was putting the time to use driving Callie crazy with her hands, lips, tongue, and teeth instead. Callie had still been asleep when Arizona had pushed her shirt up and started trailing contact all across her skin. Callie couldn't say she hated the change of pace from her usual wake up call of a fighting or needy toddler, or a loud pager summoning her from her bed. Right now, before the sun was even up, she had exactly nowhere to be except for where she was – which was writhing under her lover's infinitely talented touch.

Both of Arizona's hands were occupied, one under her still present shirt, the other pushing her panties down as her kisses moved downward. Callie could just tangle five fingers in loose blonde waves, the other gripping tight to the sheets in an effort to keep from grabbing too hard at her girlfriend's hair.

Sudden noise from the hall made Arizona's head lift just as her mouth was getting into more interesting territory. “No, don't stop!” Callie groaned, fingers tightening in her hair.

“Shh,” Arizona hushed her, listening intently.

“Mama...” The plaintive whimper was Arizona’s signal to disengage, rolling off and sitting up.

“What is it?” Callie called, her heart pounding and breathing hard as her body protested the sudden loss of sensation.

“I had an accident.”

Callie fell back into the sheets with a sigh. “Okay, it's okay,” she promised.

“I'm coming,” Arizona said, straightening her shirt as she flipped her legs out of bed.

“That was supposed to be my line!” Callie complained as she dragged one hand over her face. “I was being quiet!” she grumbled under her breath.

Arizona smirked down at her, standing up and stretching, shimmying her hips to settle her shorts back in place where they'd shifted in sleep. Callie appreciated the sight less than normal and groaned in frustrated dismay. “It was an accident, Callie. I'll take care of it and be right back.”

“I know that.” She sat up on her elbows, eyes tracing the lines and curves of her lover's body. “You don't think I should go?”

“I got this one,” Arizona promised with a wink over her shoulder. Outside the bedroom Angus called her name, having heard her voice answer him. “You can get the next one. Stay here and keep the sheets warm for me?”

Callie flopped into the mattress again willingly enough. “I can do that.”

It wasn't as quick an errand as Arizona had hoped though, and Callie's alarm clock was going off just as her girlfriend returned to their bedroom. “You've got to be kidding me!” Arizona groaned as she shut the door only to see Callie rolling out of bed. Callie's alarm was their last call – the final chance to get out bed and get ready and still have a chance in hell at making it to work on time. Arizona had been teased about her insistence on having two alarms but Callie couldn't deny she'd grown to appreciate having extra time in the mornings to fool around if the opportunity presented itself like it had this morning. Before Gus had his accident and squashed his mommy's chance of getting laid.

“Rain check,” Callie said with a shrug and a sigh, catching Arizona by the straps of her tank top. “Do you want breakfast patrol or the first shower?”

Arizona took advantage of the proximity and took a soft, lingering kiss. “I think you might need the first shower this morning.” She sounded nothing but smug about the affect she had on her partner. “I'll take care of breakfast.”

Callie's eyes narrowed and she palmed the blonde's ass, pulling her in and squeezing. “You don't have to tease.”

“I like how hot you get for me,” Arizona mused, smirking playfully. “Don't use up all the hot water thinking about me in there.” She skipped away before Callie could land the swatting slap to her posterior. “I love you,” she practically sang over her shoulder as she walked out the door.

Callie got her payback for the teasing with her outfit, a black dress that lingered on the line between professional and private. It covered everything but clung to her body in a way that made Arizona's palms sweat and mouth water. There was no way to properly express her appreciation while they were getting the kids into their car seats though. Or in the morning meeting with their coworkers all around. Callie smirked knowingly as she handed Arizona a cup of coffee.

They each had cases, patients that kept them moving all over the hospital. A chance encounter in an elevator was more than either one had hoped for before lunch. Arizona couldn't resist a dimpled smirk as the doors opened to reveal her partner waiting on the other side but she stepped forward to hold the doors open for her chivalrously. “Going down?”

Callie couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped. “I definitely plan to just as soon as I can,” she promised, a graceful eyebrow arching as she answered her girlfriend's teasing.

Arizona let the doors go and the car resumed rising. Callie sidestepped to push the button she needed but didn't step back, pressing forward instead and driving Arizona into the wall. She adapted to the kiss admirably, fingers slipping into dark hair as she deepened the contact without hesitation. Neither cared that they were in the elevator at work, that this was unprofessional in the extreme. Callie only cared that Arizona was giving as good as she got, answering handsy passion capably. “We're making out in an elevator,” Arizona pointed out against her mouth even as she flipped them, rolling them along the wall and pinning Callie. Callie just moaned when her girlfriend caught her wrists and dragged them up over their heads to hold her in place.

The doors dinging behind them as they opened should have made them separate a bit quicker than it did but Arizona couldn't bring herself to step back, her head against Callie's as they both panted to catch their breath. “This is your floor,” Callie reminded her reluctantly.

“Lunch?”

Callie chuckled, leaning in to suck briefly under her jaw. “Wouldn't miss it,” she promised with a wink, breathless and grinning as Arizona rushed to beat the closing elevator doors. Her head rolled back on her neck and she slouched into the corner, grateful for the stolen moment. Her smile wasn't deterred by the black wink of the camera she belatedly noticed in the ceiling. Callie just smirked, saluting the lens with two fingers as she sauntered off the elevator on the Cardio floor.

Arizona was already in the cafeteria when Callie came in and she hurriedly grabbed a few things and got through the line as quickly as she could. “Hey, beautiful,” Arizona greeted her warmly as she sat down in a rush, leaning over to kiss the blonde's cheek.

“Hey.” She was surprised to realize that the simple compliment was nearly making her blush, heat rising up her neck. It was nice though. But it did absolutely nothing to diminish her desire to get Arizona's pants off. “How about we get out-?”

Her proposition was cut off by a tall, thin shadow falling over the table. “Hey, mind if I join you?” Normally Callie was happy to catch Addison around the hospital but she had to restrain an urge to sigh aloud in frustration.

Arizona caught her eyes and slipped a hand under the table to rub soothingly at her partner's knee. “Of course!” Spotting Teddy entering, she gestured with her fork to wave her over. Might as well be polite. Addison would know exactly what they were up to if they made any moves to duck away and Teddy was a good friend. If they couldn't sneak off to fool around they could at least have a good lunch.

“How's everybody doing today?” Teddy asked the table as she took the last seat at the table.

Callie didn't school her expression quickly enough and Addison smirked, reaching across to pat her friend's arm. “Someone's not getting any at home?” She pulled her hand back before Callie could swat her. “I thought that's why Arizona moved in?”

Brown eyes rolled. “Shut up.”

“How's living together going?” Teddy cut in gently before the two friends could start snarking back and forth at each other.

Arizona smiled, hand again rubbing Callie's knee under the table. “Really, really good!” Knees bumped. “Right?”

Callie's grin was instantaneous. “Oh yeah!” She turned her head to catch a glimpse of blue eyes and dimples. “It's been amazing.” More than amazing. Living with Arizona, sharing her space with her girlfriend, it was teamwork, and partnership, and everything she'd always wanted from her marriage but never had with Owen. They simply fit together in a way she hadn't ever had before, with anyone.

“You both look very happy,” Addison noted. “It's great,” she approved with a smile. After years of seeing Callie settle it was nice to see her thrive.

“How're things with Sloan?” Arizona asked curiously.

“We're not having sex and I think it's making us both insane,” Addison told them bluntly. It made Arizona and Teddy's eyes widen, the two exchanging glances. More familiar with her friend's at times brutal honesty, Callie just smirked and hid it behind a hand. “Babies need attention all the time!”

Callie laughed, head shaking. “I remember.” Not that she'd been having sex either after she'd had her kids. “It gets better when they get a little bit older.” She caught Arizona's eyes, exchanging smirking smiles, and Arizona cleared her throat. “You can make it.”

“Not if it takes five years!” Addison protested, making the other women laugh. “It's not funny!”

“It kind of is,” Teddy disagreed, laughing.

“Don't take sex for granted, that's all I'm saying! Get some while you can!”

Callie caught Teddy's gaze, thinking of Owen. Their marriage, Owen's fidelity to her, had kept Teddy from the man she loved. Teddy's eyes didn't blame her though. They were dark with regret but no recriminations. Teddy Altman was an amazing woman. She deserved to be happy.

“Well, I have nothing going on in my life, so if you ever need a babysitter give me a call,” Teddy offered. Even as she made the offer her pager went off on her hip. “Shit.” She stood up after she read it. “See you later, guys.” Her lunch was mostly untouched and she snatched the apple off the corner of her tray to eat in the elevator.

Addison turned her head to watch the Trauma surgeon depart, one hand slapping the table to get the attention of her remaining lunch companions. “We need to get her a date,” she declared.

“Addie, Owen died,” Callie reminded her gently. The redhead's enthusiasm faded slightly. She'd learned of the connection between their new department head and their old one after the crash. “Give her some time.”

Addison sighed but nodded. “Fine. But if she's single, and I'm living in abstinence, you two need to be having more sex! Someone around this hospital needs to be getting laid.” She gestured between them with her fork. “You got me?”

“Okay, Dr. Inappropriate,” Callie said quickly at the same time that Arizona smirked and declared, “Oh, believe me, we're trying.”

Addison just glanced between the pair, green eyes amused and smile pleased.

They were at work, and busy, but a shared case in the afternoon gave them an opportunity to exchange sly glances, if not flirt outright. There were children present, after all. Watching Arizona charm her patients, being cute and funny and endearing, didn't do anything to calm Callie's libido though. Standing across an operating table from her fanned the flames into an undeniable heat that swept through her entire body, from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes.

Arizona was helpless to resist being compelled into on-call room after they scrubbed out, still in their gray scrubs. She didn't act like she couldn't guess why they were there either. She knew how Callie worked, could read the flush behind her ears perfectly well. She only flipped the lock when Callie shoved the door closed behind them, pushed her back against it. “Hey there,” she said, the greeting chipper.

Callie's thigh between her legs made Arizona gasp. “Hey,” Callie responded, her own tone dark with her simmering need. “I need to fuck you.” The blunt statement made Arizona swallow, anticipation sending a shiver down her back and into her knees. She could only nod in response.

Callie didn't waste time stripping her clothes off, one hand under the top of her scrubs and the other down to dispatch the string at her waist. Their previous foiled attempts at intimacy today only made her more determined not to waste a minute. Her pager going off in the pocket of her lab coat made her growl in frustration, head falling forward over Arizona's shoulder to knock against the door. Feeling Arizona's hand fumbling in her pocket she kept thumping her head lightly on the wood. “Stop that,” Arizona chided, holding her partner's pager up to read the display. “You've got to go,” she said regretfully.

Groaning, Callie pulled her hands back. Arizona caught her jaw in one hand and leaned in for a kiss that stayed slow for only a split second before it was full of tongues and teeth and passion. “I can't leave when you kiss me like that,” Callie complained under her breath.

“Go save a life,” Arizona breathed, blue eyes blinking and locking on deep mocha and cinnamon right in front of her face. “Then come home to me.” A page at this hour meant Callie would be late coming home if she had to go into the OR again. “And I promise no interruptions, nothing.”

Callie knew how unlikely that was, with three kids to deal with. “That's sweet, but -”

“Leave it to me,” Arizona promised again. “Go be awesome. I'll take care of everything else.” She slapped a hand to Callie's ass. “Later.”

Callie couldn't stop a smirk, eyes rolling as she stepped back to free Arizona from the door. “How are you so happy about this? We've gotten interrupted three times today!”

“You're worth waiting for, Calliope,” Arizona told her, openhearted and earnest, dimples deep and smile warm. Stepping forward, she rested one hand lightly on Callie's chest, standing up on her toes to lean in. Callie was expecting a kiss on the cheek but warm lips closed around her earlobe and her breathing went shaky. “I'll be waiting,” Arizona murmured into her ear, her tone sending a scorching heat down her back to settle into the low pit of her stomach.

It might have been the arousal but the rest of her day felt interminable, the sky dark overhead by the time she escaped the hospital. Arizona had gotten the kids home and fed already, texts at each stage letting her know that it had all gone smoothly. Baths and bed were next but her partner seemed to have it well in hand. She got a picture of the boys naked and grinning from under their shampoo foam mohawks and she grinned as she climbed into the car. Arizona Robbins was a stunningly beautiful woman, smart, sexy, infinitely talented. The way she took care of the kids, the way she loved them, was one of her partner's most attractive features though.

Moonlight lit her walk to the door, the house inside dim and quiet. “Hey, I'm home,” she called, careful not to raise her voice in case the kids were already in bed.

“In here,” Arizona responded from the living room where she was on the couch with her tablet computer. Callie's reading glasses were perched on her nose. “I wasn’t sure if you'd have time to eat, so there's a plate for you in the oven.”

“Yeah?” Callie asked as she shrugged out of her jacket and hung it up. “How were the kids?”

“Great. We played freeze tag so they're all worn out. Everybody's in bed.” Arizona was still reading but leaned her head back for a kiss as Callie passed behind her on the couch. Jeopardy was on the television, the volume turned down so low it was scarcely audible. “Jane Austen,” she murmured the answer to the question on the screen.

Callie hummed as she leaned down, bypassing waiting lips to trail kisses down the length of Arizona's extended neck. “Mmh, sexy and smart.” She was a lucky woman, coming home to this scene, this woman. “Are those my glasses?”

Arizona laughed but tilted her head to give Callie more access. “I can't find mine. I think they might have gotten broken and then hidden to destroy the evidence.”

Sighing, Callie dropped her head into Arizona's shoulder. “I'm sorry. I'll -”

“Don't worry about it,” Arizona denied before she could say more, one hand urging her partner's head back up to her neck, hoping the kissing would resume without her having to ask. She smiled when open lips sucked on her skin lightly.

“They look better on you anyway,” Callie noted between kisses, moving up to pull on a soft lobe with her teeth.

“Debatable,” declared Arizona in a breathy tone, her eyes falling closed heavily as warmth trickled through her limbs and settled low in her belly. Fingers found Callie's shoulder, the collar of her shirt. “You need to come here.”

“I'm right here.” Callie smiled against her skin, able to feel the pulse in her partner's neck jumping against her mouth.

Arizona's hand tugged her down gently by the shirt, her touch slipping up across the back of her neck and into her hair. “I need you closer.” She turned her face to catch Callie's lips in a deep kiss. 

Following her own desires and Arizona's request, Callie climbed over the back of the couch one leg at a time without breaking the kiss. Arizona fell back beneath her, hands pulling Callie with her. They'd been trying to get to this point all day and now that they were here there still wasn't enough time, not for talking, breathing, anything but kissing. If it wasn't touching, kissing, fingers stroking under clothing, seeking skin, they had no patience for it. Arizona had changed clothes after work, wearing a t-shirt that clung to her chest and stomach and pajama pants that were a size too big, tied at the waist. Callie tugged the shirt up and tossed it away, Arizona leaning her head back to laugh when it landed on the lamp and dimmed the only light in the room. Callie took advantage of the open territory of her neck, kissing every inch of skin she found beneath her mouth. The pants she simply worked around, her hand slipping beneath the elastic to discover that there was nothing beneath them but Arizona. “Oh.”

“I told you I'd be waiting,” Arizona gasped, arching into the contact, the connection between them. Callie's wrist turned and she pressed in closer, making Arizona buck. “Oh, God, yes!” Movement started in earnest, Arizona rising to meet Callie's strokes, bodies rocking together to create pleasure and fueled by passion.

Arizona's knee bent beside her hip, curling up and over her leg. It didn't hinder her motion but kept her near. “You feel close,” Callie breathed against her chest. “You close?”

Unable to catch her breath enough to answer, Arizona just pulled her up into a blistering kiss. They were having sex on the couch, the kids sleeping just upstairs. Any noise could wake them, could interrupt this again, after they'd spent the day being interrupted. It made everything feel just that much more urgent and her body was responding capably. She buried her gasps and moans and every sound that wanted to escape in Callie's neck, biting down harder than she meant to and making Callie groan over her head.

“You good?” Callie asked breathlessly as Arizona went limp beneath her.

“Oh God!” Arizona’s eyes were closed tight, her breath coming short as she rode her high. “Keep going,” she gasped, leg knocking lightly against Callie's side to urge her back into motion. “I want to feel you.” One hand slid between them to find the waist of Callie's skirt, fingers fumbling on the side zipper to loosen the fabric enough to slip her hand past the band and into her underwear. “Up,” she coaxed, needing a better angle than what she had.

Callie shifted willingly, gasping and moaning as Arizona moved inside her. Her skirt tightened between her legs as she moved up on her knees. They persevered though, Callie riding Arizona's hand and steadily climbing higher. Arizona leaned up on her elbows to catch Callie's noises of pleasure in her mouth, kissing her deeply. Her free hand pushed Callie's skirt up helpfully, freeing them both to move a little quicker and enabling Callie to pitch over the edge.

She fell forward and caught herself on the armrest before she crashed into Arizona, though her lover's arms pulled her down into the soft warmth of her body. “Holy...”

“Yeah,” Arizona agreed contentedly, nose nuzzling into the crook of Callie's neck. “Worth the wait?”

Callie picked her head up to smile. “Always is.” Arizona's lips quirked and she had to kiss her, the contact soft and slow. “Mmh, I love you.”

“I love you too.” Arizona kissed every bit of skin she could reach, Callie still catching her breath.

“We might be too old for sex on the couch.” Callie stretched and her back pinged. Or at least maybe there were better places for the afterglow, she noted mentally.

“Speak for yourself,” scoffed Arizona beneath her, still exploring Callie's neck.

Callie pinched her side. “You're older than me!”

“It's about how you feel, Calliope, not a number,” Arizona said, her kisses moving down and across Callie's collarbones. “I feel up for round two.”

“Okay, but upstairs,” Callie requested, breathing shaky as Arizona's tongue pressed flat in the hollow of her throat. “I want to get you naked.”

Arizona agreed without words, slipping off the couch but fumbling in the tight quarters between Callie's body, the couch, and the coffee table, and crashed on her dismount, glaring sheepishly from the floor while Callie fought an amused smile. “Oww,” she complained, one hand rubbing her butt as she pushed herself up again. “And shut up,” she directed Callie when her partner snickered, taking her hand and pulling her along.


	25. Chapter 25

 The lounge was quiet, its occupants diligent but relaxed. It would have been a perfectly professional scene if Callie wasn't sitting with her legs across Arizona's lap while they read, both in glasses. Arizona was flipping through a chart while her partner perused scans on her tablet. They were both working but the atmosphere was close, private, in spite of the location. Callie groaned when her pager broke the peaceful quiet, reaching for it on the floor and holding it up to read the display. “Oh boy.”

“What is it?” Arizona asked without glancing away from her folder. She turned the page and her hand returned to Callie's leg, rubbing small, gentle circles just below her knee.

“Ellis wants to see me. I guess there's a VIP Cardio case coming in.”

Arizona's phone rang on the coffee table and Callie stretched out to snag it for her. “It's my mom.” Callie sat up unwillingly, stretching and turning to put her feet back on the floor. “Page me if you get free?”

“Sure,” agreed Callie with a smile. “Tell your mom I said 'hey.'”

“Will do.” Arizona winked. “Hey mom.”

Callie knocked lightly on the open door frame of Ellis Grey's office as she arrived. “You wanted to see me, Chief?”

Ellis looked up from her computer and gestured for Callie to enter. “Ah, yes, come in, Dr. Torres.” She made a final click on her keyboard and Callie's tablet beeped in her pocket. “I just sent you the case file of a high priority patient that I need you to take on. He's former military, with a progressive and invasive cardiac tumor.”

Callie was already scanning the file of one Nick Jordan and whistled lowly. “This is a _big_ tumor.”

Ellis' lips were pursed and she cleared her throat. “Yes, well, it appears that Mr. Jordan is very stubborn. His family forced him to come in.”

“They're here already?”

“They're just waiting to meet you,” Ellis told her. “They've come to Seattle Grace for the very best, Dr. Torres.”

Callie stood up, nodding. “Alright.” She was confident in her own abilities. If Ellis wasn't she wouldn't be working here. “I'll have Yang assist.”

“Very good.” She nodded, dismissing her Head of Cardio. “Your patient should be in the Cardio wing already. Keep me updated, Dr. Torres.”

Callie was still surveying her patient's scans, frowning at the date on the edges of the image, as she left the office. She'd need new ones before she could get an accurate idea about moving forward. Yang would be drooling over this case. In the elevator she typed out a text to her protege to meet her at the nurse's station. Cristina was only ever in Cardio or the OR so she'd probably beat her there.

Sure enough, she was met by the younger surgeon as the elevator doors opened and she handed off the computer in her hands. “VIP case. Ellis wants us on it.”

Cristina whistled in appreciation as she zoomed in on the scans. “Damn, that's big.”

“Look at the date,” Callie suggested as she took the lead, Cristina following her without looking up. If Callie had chosen to lead her astray, she'd have walked into a wall without stumbling.

“Damn,” Cristina repeated as they walked. “I'll call up for an MRI.”

They had just turned the corner when raised voices got their attention, the two exchanging looks. The male voice was loud, frustrated, and unfamiliar. The answering female voice was one Callie knew, though. Whoever was yelling was shouting at Arizona. Callie was at the door in a burst of speed that left Cristina behind. “Hey!”

Her charge forward was halted by Arizona herself, the Peds surgeon catching her by both arms. “No, Callie, it's okay!” Callie's eyes were scanning the rest of the room, an older couple by the windows appearing to be watching the preceding argument with almost resigned expressions on their faces. A younger man was squared off against Arizona, one hand on a cane while his chest heaved. It was a strange scene she'd barged in on but no one yelled at her partner like that. Arizona squeezed her arm and Callie's gaze dropped from glaring at the man. “Calliope,” Arizona said softly, the name soothing her. “These are my parents.” Callie's eyes went wide. “Nick is an old friend.” Arizona made a realization of her own and sighed heavily. “And you're Nick's doctor.” Her eyes closed. “Shit.”

“Phoenix?”

Arizona's arm shot up behind her. “No. Don't – you _don't_ -” Callie's hand reached up for Arizona's elbow, holding her arm steady. “How bad is it?” she asked, glancing over Callie's shoulder toward Cristina observing silently from the doorway.

“Flag-”

“Stop,” Arizona cut him off again. “You had _months_ to tell me about this and you haven't said a word. I want to hear it from her.”

Callie took a breath and held it. “Actually, your scans are almost six months old. I'm going to need new ones before I know much of anything.” Arizona turned at her side to face the rest of the room. “I'm Dr. Callie Torres, and this is Cristina Yang.”

“We're the ones who'll be saving your life,” Cristina chimed in from behind them. Callie cleared her throat but didn’t chide her.

“It's nice to finally meet you, Callie,” Arizona's mother spoke up after a beat. “We've all heard so much about you.” She gestured between herself and her husband. “I'm Barbara and this is Daniel.” Nick was leaning more heavily on his cane, winded after the argument with Arizona, and Barbara moved forward to support him. “And our boy, Nick. Dr. Grey has spoken very highly of you. And of course Arizona works here, but Nick -”

Callie glanced sideways at Arizona but her partner's blue eyes were closed. “Mrs. Robbins -”

“Callie is my girlfriend, Mom,” Arizona interjected. “We live together,” she continued into the absolute silence that fell. Her hand slipped into Callie's and the taller woman squared her shoulders as every eye in the room turned to her.

“Yeah, call me when it's time to talk about the case,” Cristina announced.

“You go with her,” Arizona ordered Nick. “Do whatever she says. Yang, every test you think he needs, you run it.”

“Yes, Dr. Robbins.”

Left facing her parents Arizona took a bracing breath. “Mom...” She would be the weaker, more understanding link, and she started there.

“You've always talked to us, told us when you were dating someone.” Long before it got serious enough that she was thinking of moving in. Not that many of her relationships had gotten to that point.

“You kind of blindsided _me_ here, Mom!” Arizona shot back. Callie squeezed her fingers gently. “I didn't know you were coming here. I didn't know Nick has _cancer_!”

“I'll find someone else to be Nick's doctor,” Callie offered, not wanting to complicate an already complex situation.

“No!” Arizona and her mother protested in unison. “Dr. Grey told us -”

“You're the best,” Arizona stated.

“Boston,” Callie countered. “Erica Hahn. I know her. I'd be happy to make a call.”

“We talked to her already,” Barbara said, surprising them both. “She sent us here.” Callie blinked, not expecting that. “We want you.” Her eyes traveled between the two younger women. “If that's okay.”

Arizona stayed quiet beside her and Callie nodded. “Of course.” She swallowed. “I guess I should go talk to the patient then.” Let Arizona have some time with her parents, each side deal with the new information they'd been given.

Arizona stood on her toes to kiss Callie's cheek, the brunette turning to face her. “I'll be here, I guess, when you get back.” Her gaze darted over Callie's shoulder to her listening parents. “If you need to work late I'll -”

“If you want to see your parents -” Callie tried to protest. Arizona suddenly had a lot on her plate. She didn't want to add three toddlers to it.

“I've got them,” Arizona insisted gently. “No need to call Ellen.” Callie's eyebrow arched doubtfully. “I'll call her if something comes up,” she promised. “Okay?”

Callie nodded, glancing over her shoulder and then turning. “Nice to meet you both. I'll be back when we get some test results.”

They were left in awkward silence, standing on opposite sides of the room from each other. The silence dragged, Arizona feeling the minutes pull and stretch before finally snapping. “Are you happy? Does she make you happy?” Barbara asked. It was on Arizona's face though, how happy she was. “So why didn't you tell us? Why did we only hear that you're living with someone now?”

There were three cute, pint-sized reasons that she hadn't told her parents about the changes in her life. She wasn't ashamed of them, at all, but she knew her parents would have some rather huge reservations about the situation she'd found herself in with Callie and the kids. It wasn't neat, or simple, or anything her parents expected from her. But she had no doubts, no regrets about the life they were making together.

She couldn't hide the kids from them, though. The family she'd started with and the family she was becoming a part of couldn't be kept separate forever.

“Callie has kids.” Arizona told them bluntly. She waited for the barrage of questions to start, watching her parents exchange a look, silently prioritizing their inquiries and deciding without speaking who would do the talking.

Daniel cleared his throat but kept his mouth shut. “Honey...”

“Three of them. Twin boys and a girl. Allegra, Gavin, and Angus.” Arizona smiled without realizing it. She just couldn't help herself. “They're amazing. Allegra is about to start five year old kindergarten in a few weeks and she's so nervous, but it's cute because she's really outgoing and she's going to love it. She gets all hyper and it's just adorable.”

“Arizona, why couldn't you tell us?” Barbara pressed gently.

Sighing, Arizona shook her head. “I don't have to justify them to you, either of you. I love Callie, and the kids.”

“What about Callie's ex?” Daniel asked, speaking for the first time since she'd arrived.

Arizona's expression pulled. “He died. In the plane crash.” They knew which crash she meant without clarification. She was supposed to be on that flight. Her coworkers had died.

“It's been six months, Arizona!” protested Barbara.

“We were together before that! And they were divorced!” She resisted the impulse to growl in frustration. There was a reason she'd had hesitations about how to tell them about everything. “It's complicated, I know that, but -”

“It's not just complicated,” Daniel said, voice barking and sharp. “This family lost someone and you've got yourself right in the middle of their lives.” His brows furrowed, arms crossing his chest. “He was a soldier.” Arizona's eyes closed and she took a deep breath. Of course that's what her father would know about the crash. And of _course_ he'd choose a fellow military man to champion. “If something goes wrong you'll be hurt.”

Arizona sighed again, shaking her head. “I'm not going to get hurt, Dad.” He'd never believe that, though. She couldn't blame him – seeing it from his perspective. It wasn't an ideal looking situation from outside. Living in it was the most amazing, wonderful thing she'd ever done in her life.

“What if you hurt them?” he countered.

“I won't,” Arizona stated flatly, meeting his eyes without flinching. “Things happen, I know that. Neither one of us are stupid. We didn't go into this blindly.” She'd fallen in love. With an incredible woman – and with her children. Callie was a package deal with her kids and Arizona was in for the whole lot.

“You've always been resistant to the idea of having children,” Barbara said, as if she had to remind her, and hoping to keep her daughter and husband from fighting. “But you've put yourself in this relationship, with someone who has kids, at a very fragile time for them.” Her tone was carefully neutral, not berating but cautioning. “If something changes and you go -”

“Something _has_ changed, Mom,” Arizona interjected. It was a discussion she'd had with herself over and over as things with Callie had grown deeper, had expanded to include the kids as part of her own daily life. “ _I_ have. I'm what's changed,” she said, sure and confident. “I love those kids, and their mother. That is _never_ going to change. I'm not going to leave them.” Her father's eyes had been locked on her but they shifted, up and over her shoulder and Arizona knew who was behind her before she turned.

Callie's heart was in her eyes, her arms folded, one elbow bent to let her hand press flat to her chest. She was in the doorway, standing still and silent, and Arizona had no way of knowing how much she'd heard. She'd heard the last bit though, and it was obvious in her loving expression. Callie's smile was slow growing but utterly radiant, her eyes warm and locked on Arizona. They were the only two people in the room as far as they were concerned. Barbara shifted behind Arizona and Callie blinked as reality reasserted itself.

“We got the scans we need and Cristina is bringing Nick back down,” Callie informed them all in her Dr. Torres voice. She stepped closer and Arizona followed, ignoring her parents watching them for a moment. “It's going to be a late night -”

“I'll get the kids,” Arizona promised with a smile.

Callie smiled back, couldn't help herself. Her eyes darted up for a peek at her partner's parents. “Can I kiss you?”

Arizona’s dimples popped as she smirked. “You'd better.” She was the first to move – rising on her toes and curling her fingers around the lapels of Callie's lab coat to hold her close.

The kiss was soft, sweet, and Callie exhaled softly as it ended. “I love you.”

Arizona was smiling as she rocked back. “I love you too.” She took another light, almost smacking kiss. “I'll see you at home later.”

“Oh, remember, Gav's still in trouble for -”

“I know. No dessert.” Callie's more daring son had slid down the bannister after being told not to do it and was now suffering the righteous punishment (or unrighteous depending on who was asked) of three days without dessert. Arizona was the first to admit that she was entirely inexperienced at parenting but Callie had backed her up with the kids when she'd reprimanded Gavin, Callie telling all of them that she expected them to obey Arizona as they did her. It wasn't always easy – hardly ever, actually – but Callie had promised with a smile that every parent in the world felt as clueless as she'd confessed to feeling when they started out.

Callie gave her an encouraging smile and squeezed her arm lightly. “You're doing great. Just stick with it and don't let the pout get to you,” she advised softly.

Easy for her to say. The kids all looked like their mother when they pouted. Callie must be more resistant to having her own look used against her because she was helpless against it. Arizona grinned, nodding. “Does that mean we can't go out tonight?” She wasn't sure what her parents would want to do for dinner. They might prefer to stay in the hospital with Nick tonight. If they were going to offer opinions about her life then she might rather they stay with Nick too.

She'd changed the game, she knew that. Children and a family weren't what they'd ever expected from her. It wasn't fair to expect instant understanding from her parents. But she knew understanding would come if they could only have time to meet the kids, get to know Callie, see them all together. She wouldn't let them question her love for them in front of the children in the meantime, though.

“Do anything you need to do,” Callie told her. “As long as Gavin doesn't get dessert.” She smiled, teasing. “Don't let him break you.”

“Good luck,” said Arizona, trying to let Callie's confidence give her some confidence of her own.

Callie nodded, squeezing her arm once more before she withdrew from the contact. “Kiss them for me.” She met each of the elder Robbins' eyes before turning on her heel and leaving them alone.

Arizona breathed deep before turning to face her parents. “I've got a few minutes, but I need to get the kids from daycare soon.”

“Well, does Nick need to stay in the hospital tonight? Maybe we could go out to dinner and talk? Nick misses you.”

“Nick's sick. He needs to stay here,” Arizona told her seriously, relenting when her mother sighed at her. “I'll come see him tomorrow.”

Barbara's hands fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. “What about if we go out for dinner, then? After we get Nick settled here?”

“I'll have the kids,” Arizona told her, something not quite a challenge in her tone. Callie's children weren't optional, not to her.

“We'd like to meet them,” Barbara spoke up quickly. “If that's okay with you, and Callie.”

“That would be okay,” Arizona hedged. “We'll meet you in the lobby in twenty then.”

She left before Nick was back in the room, pacing and fidgeting in the elevator as she rode toward the daycare. Maybe she was running away, hiding, but she just couldn't handle dealing with her parents _and_ Nick right now. She wanted to see the kids, the simplicity of their company.

Allegra was the first to spot her, waving through the window and starting to gather her things. “Hey! Where's Mommy?”

“Mommy's got to work late,” Arizona told her. “But guess what?”

“What?” The kids gathered around her curiously, Arizona kneeling to their level.

“My parents are here and they want to take us out to dinner. What do you guys think? Maybe that would be fun?” If any of them looked the least bit uninterested she would be perfectly fine calling her parents to cancel. She had food at home that she'd be happy to cook.

Instead they looked excited, flattered that someone related to Arizona, whom they adored, would want to meet them. “Your mommy and daddy? Are they going to like us? Can we get pizza?” The followup questions came along practically on top of each other, all three kids talking over their siblings.

Arizona smiled, shaking her head at Gavin's eternal love for pizza. “No pizza tonight. They are going to _love_ you, I promise. You guys want to go?” There was a trio of affirmation and she sighed. “Alright.” She got a high five from Allegra and stood back up.

The Colonel and Mrs. Robbins were waiting when they exited the elevator, Arizona leading them out. Barbara's eyes lit up at the sight of them, enraptured at the image of her daughter with children in spite of the complications. Arizona stopped them a few feet from her parents, giving each of the kids time to react and adapt. Gavin stayed close but edged protectively in front of her leg while Allegra mirrored her brother by slipping into Arizona’s shadow, one hand balling into the back of her shirt. Angus tugged on Arizona's hand until she picked him up, nestling his head into her shoulder while he surveyed the new people.

“Mom and Dad, this is Gavin, Allegra, and Gus,” she introduced them, free hand on each head as she said their name. Allegra took it as soon as it returned to her side, peeking out from behind her. “Guys, these are my parents, Daniel and Barbara. Can you say hey?” Three quiet mumbles were her answer and she smiled, leaning her head against Angus'. “Did you have someplace in mind to eat?”

They ended up at a Chinese buffet a few blocks from the hospital (with Barbara promising to bring Nick some takeout). Arizona fixed the twins' plates and oversaw Allegra making her own, observing her father lean over to give Gavin some advice, the little boy carefully picking out an eggroll for himself. She bit the inside of her lip to keep from smiling too widely. She nodded when he looked to her for confirmation of the proposition that he'd enjoy it.

Eating one handed while making sure the kids were all eating had become something Arizona was good at, so used to it now that she didn't even notice that she was doing it. Barbara noticed it, though, as did Daniel, their eyes meeting across the table.

Dinner conversation topics were Nick and Callie, and the cool sharp stick Gavin had found yesterday at the park with the whole family. He'd been brandishing it like a lance when he'd gone down the banister and earned his no dessert.

Knowing her father was a big advocate of after dinner drinks Arizona invited them home, their rental car parked on the curb in front while she wrangled everyone out of their seats and toward the house.

Daniel, former US Marine Colonel, retired, accepted a glass of Jameson (from Callie's secret stash) and he stood in silent observation as the kids led Barbara on a tour of the house. Arizona leaned against the other half of the door frame for a few minutes before leaving him to join the tour. They were just so cute when they were playing tour guide. Each of their bedrooms was proudly displayed, Callie and Arizona's room indicated with a hooked thumb over the shoulder on the way back downstairs.

The hall walls were lined with framed pictures and Barbara slowed to look at the family photos on display. Pictures of Callie with the kids, candids of the kids playing in the yard and in the park, some more recent ones with Arizona, and a scattering of pictures of them with Owen.

The children's frenzied, eager explanations slowed as they pointed out pictures of Owen. “That's our daddy,” Allegra told Barbara, standing at the older woman's side. “He died saving people in a plane crash.” The words didn't come without emotion, the little girl tearing up and sniffling. Arizona was there before she could turn to look for her and she buried her face in the Peds surgeon's middle.

“It's okay to be sad,” Arizona reminded her gently, combing soft fingers through unruly curls. Over Allegra's head Barbara caught her daughter's eyes and gestured toward the door. Arizona nodded understanding and knelt to draw all three kids into her arms. Her priorities were clear and she had her arms around them.


	26. Chapter 26

The glow of a screen beyond her eyelids dragged Arizona awake, one hand fumbling for Callie's leg without opening her eyes. “No electronics in bed,” she grumbled. “That was the rule, Calliope!” That wasn't actually the rule – the rule was no TVs in the bedroom (theirs or any of the kids') but she was pretty sure the sun had only just risen, so the rules were being adapted. She fumbled as she attempted to shove her partner's thigh.

“I thought I was the one who barely slept last night,” Callie noted, her voice hoarse and scratchy. She'd started to come down with a cold sometime late last night and it was only getting worse as the sunrise had approached.

Arizona's eye cracked open to peek up at her, squinting against the hazy sunlight. “You sound sick,” she stated obviously. “When did you get home?”

“It was late,” answered Callie, still browsing on her laptop. One hand rubbed her bleary eyes under her glasses. “Shit,” she muttered as she read an email, the inbox cluttered with unread messages.

Blonde curls were mussed as Arizona’s head popped up to look over her shoulder. “What is it?” She pushed her hair back with one hand and squinted at the screen. “Nick?”

“Oh, no, sweetheart. It's not Nick. It's my dad.”

Arizona's brows furrowed and she sat up against the headboard. One arm stretched out over Callie's shoulders and steered the other woman to lean against her. Callie went without protest, adjusting her legs and laptop as she made herself comfortable in the new position. “What's he say?”

“That he's coming here, to Seattle.” The email was actually dated three days earlier. He was probably already in town, though it didn't surprise her that he hadn't called. Showing up when and where he wanted was more her father's style. Whenever he wanted to see her he'd appear.

“Oh, okay. Well, that's good, right?” Arizona checked, not sure how to respond.

Callie didn't say anything for a long moment, taking a congested breath and letting it out raggedly. “Remember how we're not talking about your parents not knowing that we live together?” Arizona kissed under her ear instead of answering, not pushing. “My dad doesn't -”

“He doesn't know you're living with someone?” Arizona guessed, the hand over her shoulder tracing Callie's collarbone gently. Her partner didn't answer and she pushed her next guess a little further. “He doesn't know you're with a woman.” It didn't have the intonation of a question because it was a statement. Her confirmation was in the stiffness of Callie's shoulders. Arizona ducked her face to kiss the crease of her neck and shoulder. “You've been with women before. You never told him?”

“I did,” Callie said quickly. “I told them, but -”

“But you married a man,” Arizona finished the thought for her when Callie's voice fell quiet. “It's okay. Whatever you decide to tell him, whatever you want to do, I'm not going anywhere.”

“I'm not going to hide anything, Arizona,” Callie denied without hesitation. “We're together, we live together, and the kids adore you.” She coughed and sighed.

Arizona nuzzled into her neck. “My parents have a suite at the Archfield. I could stay -”

“Shut it. The kids will revolt on me if you leave,” Callie argued, coughing again. Arizona's hand rubbed her back gently.

“I'm not going anywhere,” Arizona promised. “But no pressure. If you want to see your dad one on one, or with just the kids, I'm sure I can find somewhere else to be – temporarily.” Callie couldn't answer for a coughing fit. “Sit up,” Arizona requested, hands gently pushing her up so she could slip off the bed. She returned to Callie with a glass of water, guiding her back between her legs. “Of course both of our parents decide to come to Washington on the same weekend,” she noted with a heavy breath.

“How was dinner last night?” Callie asked curiously after her first long sip of cool water. Arizona had already been in bed by the time she'd gotten home, the kids all safely tucked in and sleeping, with no sign of the Robbins parents in the house. She'd fallen into the sheets and Arizona's arms without asking any questions.

“It was okay. It took the kids a few minutes to warm up, but everyone played nice,” Arizona answered, her voice soft and low. “How was working last night?” The question wasn't as innocuous as it sounded, her curiosity and anxiety about her friend's condition veiled in her voice.

Callie's head turned into Arizona's neck, her head on her partner's chest. “It's not great. We're going to try, if he's up for it.”

Nick had never backed down from anything and Arizona had no doubt that he would opt for the surgery, no matter what Callie told him the odds were. “Awesome,” she muttered.

“Honey...”

“No, it's okay,” Arizona interjected. “I need to talk to him and I'm avoiding it.”

Callie sighed against her skin, eyes squeezing closed as she started coughing again. She pulled her glasses off as she brought her water glass up for another sip. “How long has it been since you've talked to him?”

It had been a few... years. “A while,” she confessed. “We grew up together, me and Nick and Tim.” Her voice caught on her brother's name. “But we, uh, we haven't really been close since he died.”

“Are you going to catch up while he's here?” Callie asked, no expectation in her tone. Whatever Arizona decided she would support her – whether she wanted to speak to Nick or not.

“Is he going to be here long?”

Callie nuzzled into her neck. “He's not going anywhere anytime soon if there's anything we can do for him.”

Further conversation was delayed by a chime from the doorbell downstairs, the two women exchanging confused glances. It was barely six in the morning and unless something had happened there was no reason for Arizona's parents to come over without calling first. Callie started to sit up but Arizona caught her shoulders. “You stay. I'll get it,” she said, gentle hands pushing Callie back to the bed.

“But -” She had a feeling she knew who was at her door.

“But you're sick. You need to rest,” Arizona reminded her. “I'll get the door.”

Arizona was out of the bedroom before Callie could argue, the blonde still wearing the shorts she'd slept in and that clung to her ass in a way Callie very much appreciated. She appreciated much less the idea that her father would be able to see her girlfriend's cute butt in the sleepwear. She got hit by a wave of lightheadedness as soon as she was standing though and fell a few paces behind Arizona. They'd been together now for almost a year and it still baffled her how quickly Arizona gained energy in the morning.

Callie was still on the stairs when Arizona threw the door open and she closed her eyes as she heard her girlfriend greeting their guest. “Ah, hello, Miss. Is Calliope here?” Her father's voice made her heart thump and a smile jump to her mouth even as something like dread coiled in her stomach.

“Who wants to know?” Arizona asked, knowing precisely who stood in front of her. She wasn't inviting someone into the house where her girlfriend and the kids were without him introducing himself at the very least.

He cleared his throat and Callie bit her lip on the stairs, holding back a grin that wanted to burst free. Of course Arizona would stand her ground before even knowing her father's name. “I'm Calliope's father, Carlos Torres. Is my daughter at home, ma'am?”

“She is,” answered Arizona politely. “She's -”

“Right here,” Callie jumped in, taking the last few steps in a rush and hurrying up behind her girlfriend in the doorway. “Hey, Daddy.”

“Mija,” Carlos sighed warmly, stepping forward to pull her into a hug. 

Callie didn't move to meet him, one of Arizona's arms hanging at her side. She reached out to take her hand, squeezing the fingers. “Dad, this is my girlfriend.”

“Arizona Robbins,” she introduced herself, holding her free hand out to shake.

Carlos' eyes were pale blue and watery but they hardened as they fell on Arizona's calmly smiling face. “Calliope, we should talk -”

“She lives here and she's not going anywhere,” Callie stated, her breathing thick. “We've already done this, Dad. I told you then -”

“Your husband died -”

“We got divorced!” Callie countered, her voice rising. It made her cough and Arizona caught her around the waist, Callie's hand covering her mouth as she fell into a hoarse coughing fit.

Arizona's eyes rolled up toward the ceiling, listening closely for any sign that the kids were awake or waking up. “Come sit down,” she requested. Carlos seemed to take that as his invitation and followed them into the kitchen, closing the front door behind him. “Yeah, you too, I guess,” she muttered, making sure it was audible to their guest.

Callie took her seat at the table heavily, breathing out deeply and leaning her head against one hand. Arizona went to start the coffeemaker familiarly, pulling two mugs out of the cabinet before she remembered they need another and pulled one more down from the shelf. Carlos watched and Callie could see the words rolling around in his mind as he tried to decide what to say first. “Owen and I got divorced. And not because of Arizona,” Callie started before he could make up his mind. “He didn't hit me or hurt me or anything.” At the counter Arizona's jaw tightened but she kept quiet. “He didn't cheat.” Callie knew what was going through her father's mind. “We just weren't right, Daddy.”

“You weren't right? You made vows!” he countered.

“I got pregnant,” she shot back. “It wasn't love. I love Arizona. Owen loved someone else too, before he died!” She wanted to stand up and face him properly, but her knees felt weak. Arizona's hand on her shoulder kept her in her chair, the other arm reaching over her shoulder to place a mug of steaming tea in front of her. “Thank you,” Callie murmured, brushing her fingers across Arizona’s wrist before wrapping both hands around the warm mug. Her throat was aching and sore and she wanted to lay down, her head throbbing.

Carlos watched the exchange closely. The affection and consideration the couple shared was clear in every movement. He couldn't back down though and his mouth fell open. “So you broke up your family. Without even trying to fix things with your husband, the father of your children?”

“I didn't take the kids away from him, Dad,” Callie barked. “He didn't walk out on us! And we had work to do but it wasn't together! Owen was a time bomb. He was messed up from the war, from everything he went through over there -”

“And you're his wife! It's not always so easy to support someone -”

“We're not going to fight about this! Owen is dead!” The stark reality hit her again and Callie slumped weakly into her chair, fighting back tears. “He didn't need me, Dad. He didn't want me. He didn't leave the kids or anything like that. He was a good father, a good man. We just weren't good together.”

He looked up at Arizona standing behind his daughter's chair. One hand was still on her shoulder, gently rubbing. The coffee was dripping steadily into the pot on the counter and it was the only sound for an extended moment. “You're having a hard time, mija -” he started slowly.

“Stop it, Dad,” Callie cut in. “It was hard, losing Owen in the crash, watching him die slow. It took days. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, telling the kids, sitting with them and knowing it was the last time they were going to see their father. And I can't even comprehend how hard it's been for them. Arizona was with me for every part of it – the divorce, the crash, all of it. The kids love her, they've cried on her, and they count on her. As much as I do. So you don't get to come here and tell me who gets to be in my life. Arizona isn't a rebound, or a crutch. She's the woman I love.”

Arizona stepped away as the gurgling stopped, pouring two cups of coffee and taking them to the table. The cream and a bowl of sugar followed before she took the seat beside Callie. “If you take milk we've got that too,” she offered, pouring sugar in her own, ignoring her girlfriend's eye roll, and taking a sip. Carlos started preparing his own without speaking. “I can understand your hesitance, sir, but I love your daughter. And I protect the things I love. Not that I need to. She doesn't need it. She's strong, and caring, and honorable. She's who you raised her to be.” She took another sip, meeting his eyes squarely. “You can accept us, or not, but I'm not going anywhere.” Movement from upstairs made the floor creak and pop and she licked her lips. “Except to check on the kids,” she allowed, standing up and giving them privacy.

Callie let her eyes follow as Arizona left the room with her coffee in her hands, not letting her father's scrutinizing gaze dissuade her from checking out her partner's ass. He cleared his throat lightly and Callie let a smirk escape, daring him to say something about it. His mouth was drawn but he took a moment to study her before he spoke up again. She looked calm, steady, happy. It was undeniable. This wasn't a simple change in his daughter's life, however. He needed to be sure that everything was right.

The silence in Arizona’s absence was nearly absolute. Callie willingly stared her father down. She wasn't going to sputter and scramble to justify her relationship to her parent. Not when she was in a good place with the most amazing woman she'd ever known. She simply sipped her tea and waited for a crack.

Carlos finally sighed. “What does she do?”

“She's a Pediatric surgeon, Daddy. The best in the country. We work at the hospital together.”

“How long have you been seeing her?”

“Almost a year.” His mouth pulled as he did the math with the divorce but he didn't say anything. “What? Just come out and say it.” This wasn't the time to hold back. If he had something to say she wanted to hear it.

“I didn't expect you to move on so quickly.”

“You didn't expect me to move on with a woman,” Callie interpreted the statement. “I know how it looks, Dad. It wasn't neat, or clean, but I love her. And she loves me. So much. And the kids absolutely adore her. Arizona doesn't do anything but support me and them, love us.”

“She makes you happy,” he said, not a question because he could see the love in his daughter's face, hear it in her voice. “And she's good to you?”

“She makes me very happy,” Callie confirmed. “Arizona is amazing, Dad. If you just talk to her you'll see it.” She extended a hand across the table toward him. “Or you could take my word for it.” The statement was layered with meaning and he knew it. Callie was asking him to trust her, that she knew what she was doing, that she knew who she was sharing her life with. She'd never stood her ground like that with Owen, only submitted when marriage had been presented. If he pushed her now he'd only be pushing her away. Her offered hand was an opportunity and a choice – take it and get on board or stand up and walk out. He hesitated for only a moment before taking her hand. Callie smiled. “Okay, now what brings you to Seattle? I'm sure you're not just here to see me.”

Carlos reached across to sandwich her hand between his own. “Oh yes, I am! It's been too long!” They'd talked more frequently after the crash and everything that had come after, but he'd been unable to make it to the funeral. “I need to see my grandchildren. And clearly there are things we haven't talked about.” His breath was deep and he held it for a stretch. “I'd like to get to know your Arizona a little bit, if it's acceptable to you both. Maybe we could get dinner before I go home?”

Nodding, Callie took a sip of her tea. “I'm sure that would be fine.” Overhead she could hear the kids moving, and fast. “Hey! No running!” It was in unison with Arizona's voice from upstairs and she smiled into her mug, unable to resist the impulse. Allegra was the first one around the bannister and she grinned at the sight of her grandfather at the table. “Look who's here to see you. Come say hello to your abuelo.”

In the following clamor of excitement Callie finished her tea and returned upstairs to find Arizona half dressed. “How's it going down there? I was hoping they'd break the tension.” She started buttoning her shirt, bare feet dragging on the carpet as she moved around the room.

“I'm not sure. He hasn't made any big statements about disowning me yet. But he just got here.” Feeling winded just from climbing the stairs Callie took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Where are you heading?” She had a guess what would take Arizona from her side right now in the midst of so many parental arrivals and it was important.

“I need to talk to Nick,” Arizona confirmed. Callie had made a big step today, being honest with her father. She felt inspired to have her own honest conversation – before it was too late to say anything. “Unless you need me here.”

“Go,” Callie told her, hiding a cough in her shoulder. “I don't think I should go in this morning anyway.”

Arizona's brow furrowed with worry as her hands fussed with the hem of her shirt. “When do you think -”

“If I can't operate I'll talk to Teddy,” Callie promised. “I know Nick's situation. Cristina could be ready by lunch if she needed to be.”

“But it's bad -”

“Arizona,” Callie stopped her gently, catching her by the hand and pulling her to stand between her knees. “I will take care of Nick. Anything we can do, we're going to do it. I promise.”

Arizona combed a hand lightly through dark hair. “But who's going to take care of you?” she asked, other hand touching Callie's neck. “You're sick. You need to lay down. I'm going to -”

“You're going to go talk to your best friend,” Callie said before she could finish. “I will lay down, but you're going out.” Arizona's mouth fell open to protest but Callie shook her head. “My dad's here. He can take the kids out for the day.” She smiled sweetly. “You have enough on your plate. You don't have to worry about us.”

Arizona's hand curled around the back of her neck and went into her hair. “But I like worrying about you. I love you.” She smiled as Callie's eyes met hers. “And for the record, Nick is not my best friend. That's you.”

“Sweet talker,” Callie murmured. “Either way, tell Nick I say hey,” she said, dismissing Arizona. “Call me when you leave and we'll see where we're at.”

“You better be in this bed,” Arizona reminded her. She leaned down to kiss the side of her face. “Maybe I'll come home and join -” Callie sneezed suddenly and Arizona recoiled instinctively. “I'll bring you some soup,” she amended herself with a sigh.

“I'll call Teddy,” Callie said miserably.

Arizona tried a smile, lifting her face with two fingers. “If you're too sick to operate can you sit in observation with me and hold my hand?”

“Absolutely. If that's where you want me, that's where I'll be,” Callie promised without hesitation. “Altman and Yang have this. If it comes to it today.”

Arizona's smile went choked but she nodded. “Okay. I'm going to go, but I love you.”

“I love you too,” Callie echoed with a smile.

“You promise you'll rest, and let your dad take the kids, and -”

Callie shoved her lightly away with a hand on her stomach, laughter becoming coughing. “I promise. Now will you get out of here, please?”

It won her a genuine smile, Arizona rolling her eyes as she stepped back. “Now we'll see if you get any soup... or sex,” she teased. “I'll call you -”

“Go!” Callie ordered from behind her arm, coughing into her elbow and attempting to laugh. “I love you. Now go!” She waved her out with the other hand. Arizona hesitated in the doorway and Callie flopped back into bed and yanked a corner of the covers over her face. “See? Now go!” She couldn't stay there, not with her kids entertaining her father, but if it would reassure Arizona enough to get her out the door she could lay down for a few minutes. The murmurs and mumbles of goodbyes she could hear through the floor made her smile, able to hear the affection and love in the voices of the people she loved most in the world.


	27. Chapter 27

Arizona had been around this hospital for hours and days at a time but she hadn't felt nerves like this with a patient in ages. She was in charge of her OR, her service, knew exactly how to handle her patients. She didn’t go into her OR without knowing exactly what was going to happen, a plan for every contingency. Pacing outside Nick's room, she had no idea what she was going to say to him when she walked through the door.

If she didn't walk through the door though then she might as well have stayed home with Callie and the kids. So Arizona resolved to put her head down and go without any expectations or ideas how it was going to turn out. She hadn't talked to Nick in months, and nothing like how they used to talk when they were younger. Before so many things had changed.

“I can see you, you know,” Nick called from his bed, waving. “Are you going to talk to me now?” Arizona edged into the doorway but didn't speak. “You didn't bring your kids to meet their Uncle Nick? And you went and got yourself hitched without telling anyone?”

“Callie and I aren't married,” Arizona corrected him, her arms crossing her chest. “And they're not my kids, they're hers.”

His grin didn't slip. “Maybe not yet.”

“I didn't come here to talk about – I'm here to talk to you.” She moved into the room one step at a time. “You didn't tell me that you're sick. Callie said the scans you brought in were old.”

“So we've got plenty to talk about. Where do you want to start?” Nick asked, his attitude as light and easygoing as it had ever been.

It pissed Arizona off suddenly. “Does anything actually touch you? Does it all just roll off your back?” Nick shrugged, still grinning. “Do you even care that you're sick? Do you care what it's doing to Mom and Dad? To me?”

“Is it doing anything to you?” he snapped back, sitting up straighter as his expression darkened. “You've barely said two words to me since yesterday.”

Arizona bristled. “You know how hard it is for me, to see you -”

“Tim -”

“God, is this not about Tim!” Arizona barked at him. She stepped forward in a rush and he pushed himself up on both hands. “This is about you, being sick and too stupid to tell me until it's -” Arizona stopped herself, breathless and panting. “Why couldn't you just tell me? The doctor part of my name isn't just decoration, you know? I could have helped you before it ever got to this!”

Nick's easy grin tightened. “Does that mean your girlfriend isn't the miracle worker we were promised?” He was trying to tease but he just sounded choked.

“This is not Callie's fault,” Arizona stated hoarsely, fighting the impulse to stab two fingers in his face. Fighting with him wouldn't help anything between them though and she took a measured breath. “Why didn't you come in sooner?”

Nick's eyes slid away from her, skating along the walls. “You weren't the only one who ran.” His expression was morose, tone solemn, and Arizona sucked in a breath. Both had taken Tim's death hard, reacting in much the same way – burying themselves in work and a cross-country change of scenery. Nick's jump had been followed by several smaller bounces that had become a career as a globe hopping photojournalist. He'd done well for himself, after Tim's death. They both had. But they'd lost more than their brother when he'd died. Grief and distance had taken them away from each other as well. “I couldn't see you without seeing him, Tempe.”

Arizona sighed heavily, understanding but still frustrated. “You know there are other doctors in the world, right? You could have gone to someone else.”

“I did,” he told her quietly. “But here we are anyway.” He'd gone to specialists as far from Seattle, Washington as he'd been able to find but they'd all pointed him here. Dragging his heels as much as possible had only delayed the inevitable – him in this bed and Arizona standing across the room. “You know you're dating the best Cardio doc in practically the whole damn world, right?”

Arizona's smile was shadowed but real. “She's pretty amazing,” she agreed warmly.

“Tell me about her, then,” Nick requested, wanting a happier subject change. “How'd you meet? You offer to cheer her up in a bar bathroom or something?”

Blue eyes rolled, a dimple popping in her cheek. Nick winked at her and Arizona shook her head. “No! Nothing like that. We've worked together for years.”

“That's boring!” he complained. “Did you at least just lay one on her one day?”

“She was married.”

“Ooh, well this story just got more interesting!” Nick sat up, one hand gesturing for her to continue. “Did my sweet little Flagstaff break up a marriage?”

“No!” she yelped. She and Callie hadn't been an affair but she didn't like having her relationship questioned. “She kissed me once before it was over with her husband, but they were going to split up -”

“Because of you?”

“No! Or, I don't know! No!” She took a breath, head shaking. “Callie's marriage was about her and her husband. So was their break up.”

“So you didn't have anything to do with it?” he kept pushing.

“I don't know, Nick! I was her friend and nothing more.” Arizona's brows furrowed, her eyes stern. “I'll talk about Callie all you want, but I'm not going to talk about that.”

He lifted both hands in supplication. “Okay.”

“Tell me about where you've been,” Arizona requested, determined to change the subject. Nothing about how she and Callie had gotten together had been sneaking, or cheating, and living inside the circumstances of the moment had led them almost without noticing to the next level. Questioning it from outside though, it didn't sound great. No matter that it was the single best relationship she'd ever had in her life, with the greatest woman.

Nick had been all over the world capturing scenes of nature – sun rises over mountains in the Switzerland, the swell and fall of hurricane waves in Japan – and more than one battle in countries she'd barely heard of. “I even got shot once, well grazed, really.”

“Bull!” Arizona denied with a laugh even as she saw the ribbon of scar tissue on his arm. He shoved his sleeve up to display it more clearly and Arizona moved up to the bed to get a better look. “That's a good scar, though. I bet the chicks like it.”

“Moderately,” he acknowledged mock humbly. His cocky grin was familiar, nice.

Arizona's eyes tracked across his face, the features she'd always known so well. Tim had been her brother, their brother. Nick had been as good as family once. “When did things get so crazy?” she asked in a sigh, sinking to sit on the edge of his bed.

Without hesitation Nick reached for her hand and laced their fingers. “For me or you?” he asked, dark humor lacing his tone.

“Both,” Arizona laughed. Her life could hardly be called simple anymore, not with a woman and three children affecting every decision she made these days. But it wasn't something she wanted to change, at all. It was just... complicated. Callie and her kids were entirely worth it though.

“Arizona -” He never said her name and his throat caught on the word.

Their eyes caught and Arizona drew in a deep breath as she squeezed his fingers. “I want you to fight for it.”

Nick blinked, not entirely sure what she was saying, what she was asking of him. “Wha-?”

“Whatever you want, wherever you go from here, fight to get it,” Arizona advised him. “Life's too short.”

He was the first of the two to crack, his laughter escaping beyond his control. Because he had a tumor threatening to tear his heart apart but Arizona was giving him some cliché about how short life was. “I think I got that message,” he told her in between deep belly laughs. Arizona's cheeks were flushed and she swatted his arm right at his bullet scar. “Oh, I missed you, Phoenix. I really did.”

“I missed you too,” Arizona agreed, breathless and still chuckling. “How about when you get out of here you don't drop off the world so much this time?”

His grin was affectionate and warm, familiar and safe. “Sounds good. I need to get to know this young lady you're spending so much time with,” he reminded her. Arizona's head ducked and long hair slipped in front of her eyes. “She's got to be amazing to hook you.”

“She is,” Arizona stated, licking her lips. “You're going to love her.”

“She's going to save my life, right? I'd be an ass not to at least hear her out.” He laughed but his eyes couldn't linger and Arizona swallowed down a hard lump in her chest. “You guys get any good channels in this place?” he asked hoarsely, edging over in his narrow bed and clearing space beside him. Arizona took it without hesitation, sitting stiffly beside him at first before gradually relaxing into his side, her head coming to rest comfortably on his shoulder. She could hear his heartbeat under her ear and the steady pace of it lulled her into a quiet peace.

Her parents' arrival roused her from a place near sleep, eyes half open and not seeing the television. Nick had fallen asleep, his arm curled under her neck and over her shoulder. Barbara drew up short on seeing them, a smile on her lips. “Oh -” Her husband nearly collided with the back of her as he followed her in.

“Hey Mom,” Arizona said as she blinked her eyes open. Nick didn't stir beside her.

“Did you kids -?”

“We talked,” she told her mother while fighting the impulse to roll her eyes. “Everything's fine.”

Barbara looked satisfied and resumed bustling into the room. “Well, good! We didn't know you were here, obviously, but we brought lunch and there should be -”

“But I know I saw her!” The new voice was loud, overpowering Barbara's attempts to keep quiet, and Arizona caught Nick with a hand on the chest when he startled. Allegra let herself in past Daniel's legs, leading a new group into the room. “Told you so!” she declared when she spotted Barbara, pointing triumphantly. “It's Arizona's mommy!”

Arizona sat up quickly as her father moved to let the boys in and Carlos Torres peeked in from the hall, Nick's arm falling limp in the wake of her movement. “Legs, what are you doing here?”

“I didn't know you was going to be here!” Allegra said happily, Callie's grin splitting her face.

“What are you doing here?” Arizona asked again, standing up when Carlos' eyes narrowed and focused on where she was lying in bed with a man. “Is your mom okay?”

Allegra shrugged. “She's sleeping at home. Abuelo is taking us out for lunch!”

Arizona looked at Carlos for confirmation and he nodded. “Calliope asked if I could drop something off with a Dr. Yang, and Allegra spotted your mother and darted in here.”

“Okay, well Legs, you have to remember that you stick with your brothers in the hospital and none of you leave whoever you're with, whether it's Mommy, or your abuelo, or me, okay?” She waited until she got nods from all three. “Now, say hey to Ms. Barbara and Mr. Daniel, and you guys go have fun with your grandfather.” She straightened up. “Mom and Dad, Nick, this is Callie's father, Carlos. Mr. Torres, these are my parents, and my friend Nick.”

“Hey!” Allegra greeted them with a wave, unconsciously drawing up to Arizona’s side and taking her hand. “Do you know mi abuelo?”

As the elders introduced themselves Allegra's attention was snagged by a “Psst” from the hospital bed. “Hey,” Nick said quietly as he gained all three of the kids' attention. Gavin edged up beside his sister. “I'm Nick. I'm an old friend of your buddy Arizona.”

Not sure what to make of that information Allegra gripped tighter to Arizona’s fingers, her eyes narrowed uncertainly. “Yeah?” Gavin challenged, squaring his little shoulders. Without them noticing Arizona was watching the showdown with a patient smile while Barbara worked Robbins charm on Carlos.

“We've been friends since we were probably the same age as you are now,” Nick told him.

Allegra looked up in disbelief and got a nod of confirmation from Arizona. “You don't know how old I am!” Gavin snapped back.

“Gav, that's not polite,” Arizona interjected, reminding him.

“Sorry, Mister,” Gavin corrected himself sheepishly.

Nick waved it off, sending the little boy a wink. Colonel Robbins cleared his throat though and Nick made a show of jumping as if he'd been caught at something. Gavin laughed in spite of his misgivings about his Arizona's new old friend.

“I'm glad I got to see you guys,” Arizona commented, kneeling to hug each of them. “Qué haces para el almuerzo con tu abuelo?” she asked in a surprisingly good accent, biting back a smile when Carlos blinked in clear surprise.

“Fish!” Gus spoke up for the first time. “Yum!”

Laughter rang around the room and Arizona tousled his hair lovingly. “Go get it, then.”

He nodded, grinning at her. “Love you.”

“I love you too,” Arizona returned without hesitation. “I'll see you when you get home later. Be good,” she instructed all of them.

They trooped out with a final round of waves and Arizona stood up, eyes traveling the room in the silence they left behind. “Well, I hate to not eat and run, but Callie's not feeling well, so -”

“Go on, sweetheart,” Barbara said before she could even finish the sentence, shooing her.

“You'd just eat all my lunch anyway,” teased Nick with a grin. “Tell your hot doctor I said hey though.”

Arizona's eyes rolled. “I'll see everyone later. Call me if anyone needs anything.”

“We will,” Barbara assured her, kissing her cheek. “If Callie needs anything, let me know.”

A dimpled smile answered her. “I'll take care of Callie, Mom. You've got your hands full with Nick.” The two women sent the patient in the bed matching considering looks and he blinked, sitting up straighter. “Good luck,” said Arizona dryly.

“You too, darling,” Barbara echoed her tone. “Give our best to Callie.”

A small local diner a few blocks from the hospital made a fantastic chicken noodle soup and Arizona stopped for a pint on the way home. She opened the front door slowly, not wanting to wake Callie. The house was quiet with the kids out, no lights on. The television was on though, volume turned down low. “Washington Irving,” Arizona murmured the answer to the Jeopardy question on the screen.

“Brains and beauty,” Callie breathed hoarsely from the couch, sitting up slowly. It took her more than one effort before she succeeded. Arizona changed direction and surprised Callie by promptly straddling her legs. “Oh, hello,” she said, blinking at the sudden presence in her lap.

Arizona's hands found her forehead and neck, checking with a practiced hand for a fever. “You're supposed to be sleeping,” she said, distracted. “And you're still warm.” But cooler than she'd felt earlier, which was a relief.

Callie slipped her own hands up her girlfriend's thighs, smiling when Arizona absently swatted one hand away from her waist. “Not leading anywhere,” Callie teased, replacing her hand on her partner's leg resolutely. “And I was sleeping earlier.”

“Well, I brought you soup,” Arizona told her with a smile, the hand on her cheek stroking softly. “So it's good you're awake, I guess.” Callie smiled, hungry. Her partner had pretty impeccable timing. If Arizona shifted she'd be happy to eat it. She wouldn't make a fuss or anything. Though the view from where she was sitting was very nice. “Did I ever tell you I'm fluent in Spanish?”

The abrupt change in subject was confusing but Callie merely shook her head. “No, I didn't know that.” Her mouth quirked upwards into a smirk. “So when you make me go bilingual in the bedroom...”

Arizona's grin was wide, framed by dimples. “Oh, yeah,” she said in a pleased sigh.

Callie blushed but hoped it would be written off to flush or fever. “How's your German?”

“Kind of spotty. Definitely don't know any bedroom German for sure.”

Laughing, Callie's head fell backwards. “You lived in Germany?” She knew Arizona’s youth had been spent roaming the globe as the Colonel's work dictated but she'd never gotten the specifics straight.

“For a few months, yeah,” Arizona answered, taking advantage of the open real estate of her girlfriend's neck and dragging kisses across feverish skin. “I was six or seven though. Not really interested in my language lessons.”

“Cute.” Callie's fingers hooked in the waist of Arizona's pants, holding her in place. “What made you decide to tell me that you can speak Spanish though?” she asked curiously.

Arizona leaned back with a smile on her face. “Your dad seemed surprised earlier. And I wasn't sure if you knew.” Callie blinked, surprised herself. “We ran into each other at the hospital,” she explained.

“How was Nick?” Callie's expression pulled in concerned sympathy.

“Your dad caught us in bed together,” Arizona sighed, continuing quickly when her girlfriend's eyes went wide, her mouth falling open. “Napping, my head on his chest and his arm around my shoulders, no inappropriate touching of any kind, napping.”

Callie's brow furrowed and Arizona's thumb brushed the lines away from the corner of her mouth. “You – okay...” Callie said slowly, nodding. “Did you two talk, or was it all just platonic napping?”

“We talked,” Arizona told her, smiling hopefully. She took a beat, her eyes drinking in Callie's face, the look in her eyes. “I'm completely in love with you, you know that? And the circumstances weren't perfect, but I have never felt like this about anyone.” Callie's eyebrow quirked but she kept silent, letting Arizona speak without interrupting. “I mean, I never saw myself here, with a stable relationship and a family, but I fell in love with you before you ever even kissed me.” Callie leaned back, smiling up at her partner patiently, loving every word that came out of Arizona's mouth. Family in particular had a nice ring to it. “Nick asked me about you, about how we met and everything. Maybe you were married, and maybe we kissed some before you were single,” Callie's mouth opened to protest, “but I don't care how it sounds, or what it looked like from the outside. I love you and you love me and none of the rest of it matters.”

Callie took a moment to process the impassioned speech before she spoke up, her voice hoarse and tired. “That's a relief,” she observed dryly. Arizona's dimples appeared in her cheeks, her grin almost painfully wide. Callie slid her hands up the outside of her partner's legs and up to her hips. “I do love you. So much.” Arizona leaned in for a kiss before she could say more, catching her bottom lip between her own and pulling softly. Callie's head jerked back before the contact grew deeper. “Hey, I'm sick!”

“Don't care,” Arizona told her even as Callie's hands pushed back on her hips. They were both smiling when she leaned away. “I guess I should feed you.” She twisted to get the bag from off the coffee table behind her.

“Did you get something for yourself?” Callie checked, perking up at the scent of food that wafted from the bag. Her stomach growled appreciatively.

Arizona retrieved a covered bowl and plastic spoon and a wrapped sandwich triumphantly. “Soup for you, as promised.”

Laughing, Callie wrapped both hands around the bowl. “Are you going to sit on me while we eat or -?”

Blue eyes narrowed but she flipped her leg over and flopped to the cushion beside Callie, huffing. Arizona smiled when Callie's arm lifted to give her space to snuggle into her side. Callie was holding her soup carefully in her lap but juggled her spoon and the TV remote for a moment, turning it up and smiling as Arizona murmured the answer to the trivia question on the screen.


	28. Chapter 28

 The gallery was nearly silent, the only sound the muted rhythm of Arizona's shoe tapping against the carpet. Her parents were in the waiting room two floors below but she'd been unable to contemplate the thought of sitting and just waiting passively. Whatever happened to Nick, she had to be there to see it. Whichever way it ended up, it would be hours before there was news to relate. It was early still and Callie was working carefully, double checking every cut and stitch.

Arizona looked up when a hand moved into her line of sight, Teddy taking a sip of her own coffee as she took the seat beside her friend. "Looks like they're just really getting into it," she noted, able to watch the procedure on the monitor. Arizona nodded without speaking, her foot still bouncing unconsciously. "It's Callie and Yang. They've got this."

"Don't." Arizona shook her head, leaning forward and wrapping both hands around the paper cup. It was nice, the coffee and the reassurance, but she couldn't hear them right now, not when Nick could die on her partner's table. Callie's brush with a cold had been brief and she'd been cleared to operate. It was both a relief and an anxiety. There was no one she trusted more, but she still wished Callie was sitting beside her, holding her hand.

Teddy didn't miss a beat. "Okay," she said dryly. "Would you mind if I watched? I haven't been on a Cardio case in a while. I miss it sometimes." She smiled comfortingly, the expression soft. "And they're two of the best I've ever seen."

It was reassurance without the cliches, support without needing to speak further. Teddy just sat down beside her and Arizona was grateful, leaning back in her seat after a long, quiet minute.

In the waiting room below them it was just as quiet, the scattered people settling into knots of tension and silence as they waited on word of their loved one's outcomes. The Colonel had posted up in the corner, able to see the comings and goings of everyone in the room. Whatever their boy's fate was, he'd be able to see it coming before it reached them.

They knew it would be hours before anything was decided for sure. Any sooner meant complications, would mean death for Nick, a man he loved as his own son. He'd lost one son, wasn't sure if he could survive losing another. His daughter had lost her brother and he couldn't bear it if she lost another.

The unmistakable sound of approaching children, shuffling clothes, squeaking sneakers, and chatter, made everyone look up, even knowing that it wasn't the news any of them were waiting for. The three Hunt children walked around the corner as if they owned the place, the two boys following their sister's direction when she spotted Daniel and Barbara in the corner.

“Hey, Mister Arizona's Daddy,” Allegra greeted them. “Mrs. Arizona's Mama.”

Carlos followed them over, giving the other two adults a nod. “They know what's happening and insisted on coming to see Arizona.”

“Where's Arizona?” Gavin asked when he couldn't spot their mother's girlfriend in the room.

Barbara leaned forward to smile softly at him. “She's upstairs watching the surgery, sweetie.”

His pale blue eyes darted as he considered that. “Arizona let us watch once,” his twin chimed in. “She said we couldn't tell Mama!” insisted Gus quickly when his siblings both shot warning looks at him.

Barbara's smile grew and she laughed quietly. “Did she, now? That sounds like my girl.” She glanced up toward Carlos. “Would you all want to sit with us?”

The three children consulted silently among themselves before looking at their grandfather. Gus was already climbing into Arizona's mother's lap when Carlos nodded. “We don't want to intrude, of course,” he murmured as he took a chair close by Daniel.

“My daughter's told me so much about all of you,” Barbara told them, eager for a distraction from all the waiting. “I feel like I know you three.”

Gavin's chest puffed, pleased by the idea that Arizona had bragged about them to her mother. “Does Arizona have more brothers and sisters?” he asked curiously. Callie had explained that she was doing the surgery today on Arizona's brother and he wanted to know more.

Darker blue eyes than the ones the boys had flicked to find her husband before Barbara answered, “No,” softly. “Just Nick now.”

Sensing the serious tone, if not fully understanding why it was there, Allegra nodded her little head seriously. “Our mommy is a good doctor.”

“The best,” Gus added softly, leaning his head against Barbara's shoulder with a quiet sigh.

She hugged him, breathing roughened by emotion as she held onto his small body gratefully. “I'm sure she is,” she agreed. “That's one of the reasons she works here with my Arizona, I bet.”

All three kids nodded in agreement. “Arizona's awesome!” Allegra said eagerly, unconsciously using Arizona's favorite word. The Peds surgeon was good about keeping it out of conversation with adults but it was scattered through all of her interactions with children, Callie's kids as well as her patients.

Recognizing where Allegra had to have picked up the word made Barbara smile. Maybe it wasn't what she and Daniel had imagined for their little girl, what Carlos had envisioned for his, but there was no questioning how their daughters felt about each other, how Arizona felt about the kids, or how they felt about her. The circumstances weren't ideal, far from it, but the family the two women were making was something real.

“She loves you three a lot,” Barbara told them, tousling Gus' nearly shaggy hair. “My boy, you need a haircut!”

He laughed, ducking his head shyly. “That's what Ave says too,” he admitted with a blush rising up his neck.

Cocking her head, Barbara laughed. “Who's that?”

“It means bird,” Allegra explained for her brother when he was too shy to clarify. “It's what he calls Arizona.” It was what they all called her, but she was five and felt too old for nicknames. That was little kid stuff. Arizona enjoyed their little kid stuff though, and seemed to like her nickname.

Eyes suddenly burning, Barbara blinked rapidly. “Well, she _is_ my daughter. And she's right about your hair.”

Gus pushed his hair defiantly down over his brow. His dad had always advocated for short hair but his mother told him he could grow it out if he wanted to. Arizona liked to gently tease him about it, that's all. Like everything else Arizona did, he loved it. “Mommy says I don't have to have a haircut until I want to.”

“Daniel used to cut his hair every _week_ ,” Barbara told him, gesturing toward her husband. He was retired but maintained his high and tight hairstyle. He just got it cut every two weeks these days.

Gus' blue eyes went wide in disbelief and shook his head determinately. “Ave says I'm handsome.”

“Oh, you are!” confirmed Barbara, smiling at him. “You two boys are the only good men in my girl's life, the way Arizona talks about you.” The twins exchanged proud looks and Barbara winked at Allegra. “You keep these two in line though, don't you?”

The eldest Hunt child and only girl grinned, satisfied with the recognition that she was in charge of her brothers. “Yes, ma'am.”

“Ooh, no, we can't have that,” Barbara stopped her. “We're going to be friends, right? Your mom is dating my daughter.”

Gavin was trying to figure out exactly what that made them to each other, twisting his lips and squinting his eyes as he thought it over. “So you're...”

“Let's start with Barb,” she suggested. “For now.”

Carlos cleared his throat lightly, not sure how that provision made him feel. “You think it's that serious between them?”

Barbara sent a glance toward her husband, noting his tightened jaw. One arm stayed around Angus' shoulders but the other one reached for Daniel's arm, rubbing his wrist gently. They'd expressed their own reservations about Arizona's relationship, with how quickly it'd become serious, but it had taken exactly one conversation with their daughter to assuage any doubts they had.

“Your daughter is operating on our son,” Barbara reminded him.

“It's her job and she's the best at what she does,” he countered, polite but with an edge to his words. Clearly, whatever doubt he had remained.

The hand on Angus' head slipped up to tangle in his red curls, unconsciously covering his ear with the heel of her palm. She didn't want him hearing questions about his mother's relationship. “If that's why you think she's doing this then, respectfully, you don't know your daughter that well,” she said dryly.

Properly rebuked, Carlos fell silent. The hospital continued to operate normally around them and the double doors opened to admit a pair of surgeons who went to talk with another huddled family across the room. The hugs and smiles were a relief.

“How about we go get everyone a snack?” Barbara suggested after a minute, the quiet growing more tense. “Would you all come along and help me carry?” She got three willing agreements and Gus slipped off her lap to allow her to stand up. “Carlos, would you care for a cup of coffee?”

He blinked but nodded, head turning to watch them file out. The kids were already chattering at her happily. The two men's gazes locked and Carlos Torres furrowed his brow. “Don't pretend it was so easy for you,” he stated gruffly. “My daughter's been married to a man, has children -”

“And she's still precisely the same person now that's she's with a woman,” Daniel quietly reminded him. “It was no easier or harder because Arizona never brought a boy home. She's who I raised her to be.” He cleared his throat. “The way I see it, it's lucky our girls found each other when they did.” Carlos blinked again but didn't argue. “They make each other happy. Surely you can see that.” He got no answer but Carlos chewed on his lip. “If anyone were to make them, either of them, unha-”

“Dad!” Arizona's appearance was a surprise, the surgeon rushing over to interrupt whatever her father had been about to say. “What's -?”

“How's it going?” he asked over her, pushing himself to his feet.

“Nick's doing well.” Arizona nodded. “They're about to get into the tricky part.” One hand was on her hip but the other pushed hair back from her face. “Teddy's watching and she said my twitching was distracting. Suggested maybe I could use a break.” She shifted her gaze to a slowly rising Carlos. “Mr. Torres, I'm surprised to see you here.”

He fidgeted with the sleeve of his shirt as he answered, “Well, the children insisted that they -”

His explanation was interrupted by the kids themselves bursting through the doors and dashing to her side while Arizona knelt to greet them. “Hey, what are you doing here?!” Hugs surrounded her from all sides and she had trouble catching her breath. “This is just what I needed today. Thank you,” she told them.

“That's why we told abuelo we _had_ to come,” Allegra answered her. “Mommy said your brother is sick.”

“She's working on him right now,” confirmed Arizona with a nod, leaning back to see their faces. “We don't need to worry,” she said when Gavin's mouth flattened. “Come on, let's get up off this floor and you can tell me how these old folks have been entertaining you.”

“They're just talking,” Gus said, holding her hand as she stood up. “It's boring,” he admitted around a yawn.

Laughs rounded their corner and Arizona faked surprise. “Well, you guys should get out of here. Mom and I are going to be stuck here all day but that's no reason you shouldn't have any fun. Ask tu abuelo to take you to the park. He hasn't seen how fast you can all run lately, I bet.”

“We want to stay with you!” Angus protested immediately. “Can we have lunch?”

Allegra's pleading eyes were irresistible and Arizona sighed, nodding. “In the cafeteria?” She got eager nods and smiled, the expression tired. “Let's do it. Mom and Dad, care to join us?”

“Of course we will.”

Carlos followed without commenting, the kids his responsibility even if they were with Arizona. She paid him no mind, holding Allegra's hand as they walked and listening to the twins chattering as they scurried to clear the path in front of them. The cafeteria staff was plainly familiar with the sight of the Pediatric surgeon with the Hunt kids and she knew what to reach for before they could ask, the cashier giving all four smiles and answering Arizona's friendly greeting.

As soon as she was seated Allegra scrambled into her lap, leaning into her side. The oldest Torres was less prone to cuddling than her brothers but Arizona was privately grateful for the proximity. The boys were busy regaling her parents with extremely detailed descriptions of their bicycles but Allegra stayed quiet.

“You alright, Legs?” asked Arizona in a whisper.

Turning on her lap to see her face, Allegra's expression was somber. It took her a moment to speak up but Arizona didn't push her. “I don't want Nick to die.”

Arizona hugged her close immediately, taking a choked moment of silence for herself before she answered. “Your mom's going to do everything she can for Nick.”

“Daddy died,” whispered Allegra, her face buried in Arizona's sweater.

Arizona closed her eyes, her chin resting lightly on top of her head. “I know he did, and I am so sorry, sweetheart, but your mother did everything she could for your dad. She's doing everything she can for Nick.” She dropped her face into soft, dark hair and pressed her lips against silky strands. “If there was anything anyone could have done for your daddy your mom would have done it. You know that.”

Brown eyes were teary when she leaned back to look up at her. “Can Mommy help Nick?” she asked, sniffling.

Arizona swallowed down what felt like a rock in her throat before she answered. “I believe in your mom, kiddo.” She breathed deeply. “More than anyone else.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Arizona confirmed, her voice thick. They each blinked back tears and Arizona cleared her throat. “How about we eat before this gets cold and then maybe me and you can take a walk?” Allegra nodded silently and Arizona turned her head in to kiss the little girl's temple. “That's my girl,” she murmured, giving her a shadow of a smile.

“Want to split my fries?” Allegra asked in a soft tone, pulling the cardboard tray to the edge of the table so they could both reach it.

“Perfect. Thank you,” Arizona answered her before plucking one for herself. “That's sweet.”

“So, Carlos, what brings you to Seattle?” The question from her mother drew Arizona’s attention back to the conversation around the rest of the table.

Her partner's father's eyes flicked toward her. “Business, normally.”

“Abuelo...” Angus whined and Carlos smiled.

“But not this time. And I extend my trips when I come this direction, of course, to see my nietos,” he clarified, ruffling the little boy's hair affectionately.

“And what business are you in?” asked Daniel, polite but gruff.

“Property management.”

“That must keep you busy. How often do you make it to Seattle?” Barbara asked.

“Not as often as I'd like,” he answered genuinely.

“But we see abuela on the computer," chimed in Allegra, speaking around a fry.

Carlos smiled affectionately at her. “Your abuela will never believe how big you've all gotten. You'll have to come to Miami for the holidays and see her.”

Three little heads swiveled toward Arizona. “Can we go?” and “Please, can we?” the twins pleaded over each other.

Blue eyes blinked and Arizona flicked her gaze toward Carlos. “That is something you guys will have to ask your mom,” she told them. “I'm sure she can work something out though. There's plenty of time.”

“Does it snow for Christmas?” Angus asked curiously.

Carlos laughed, the sound more than reminiscent of his daughter's laughter. “Not in Miami, my boy. But we have a pool.”

That was more than enough for the boys, pale blue eyes going wide as they looked at each other with smiles growing on their faces. Allegra smiled but simply cuddled closer to Arizona's shoulder without speaking. “I think we're going to hit the little girl's room,” Arizona told the table, lifting Allegra with her capably as she stood up.

They didn't go to the bathroom, though none of the ones they'd left at the table would know that, Arizona wandering the halls aimlessly while she waited for the little girl to speak. Allegra pushed back to walk herself in the lobby, her eyes on the ground while she walked at Arizona's side.

Arizona was patient, strolling silently and letting Allegra take her hand when she reached for it. The rest of the staff had grown used to seeing her with Callie's children and they attracted no notice.

“I miss my daddy.” It was said softly, Arizona slowing her pace to match Allegra's.

Arizona knelt with a sigh, turning her partner's daughter to face her squarely but not forcing her to meet her eyes. “Can I tell you something that I don't tell a lot of people?” Allegra nodded, looking up at her. The sorrow in her little brown eyes broke her heart. “I really miss my brother.”

“Nick?”

“My other brother,” Arizona clarified, her throat feeling thick. “His name was Tim and he was my big brother.”

“Did he die?”

She took a shaky breath. “Yeah, sweetie, he did. He was a soldier, like your daddy.” Little hands touched her arm and her eyes dropped to Allegra's hand on her wrist. “He didn't come back though.” Thin arms threw themselves around her neck, Allegra squeezing her in a tight hug. “He would have loved you and the boys,” she said hoarsely. “So much.”

“Really?” Allegra asked.

“Yeah,” confirmed Arizona. She thought about it a lot, how her brother would have grinned like an idiot if she'd ever had a chance to tell him she'd fallen head over heels for a woman with kids. “Just like Nick will.”

“Yeah?”

Arizona leaned back to smile at her reassuringly, using everything she had to muster the expression. “Of course he will! How could he not?”

Allegra's answering smile was more natural and Arizona could feel the knot in her stomach relax just slightly. “I'm awesome,” Allegra declared with a confidence only Callie Torres' daughter could manage.

It won her a helpless bark of laughter, loud and uninhibited. “Yes, you are,” agreed Arizona. “Should we go see what your brothers have gotten your grandfather into?” she suggested, blinking when she was engulfed in another tight hug. “You okay, Legs?”

“Are _you_ okay?”

Arizona took a moment. “I don't know. But that's okay. We'll take care of each other, right?”

“Right!” Allegra confirmed, nodding her head resolutely. Arizona couldn't doubt the little girl's resolve any more than she could doubt Callie's surgical skill to save her friend's life.


	29. Chapter 29

Callie always took a moment alone after surgery, regardless of the outcome, but she took two before she went to face the Robbins. Taking an extra minute to let her hair down, Callie breathed deep. It had been a _long_ procedure. Arizona had left the gallery early on and Teddy had been called away by her own surgery. She'd seen the best part though.

“Do you want to go talk to the family, or should I?” Cristina asked, businesslike as usual.

Callie could see the exhilaration a surgery like that gave her student. Cristina was likely still so hyped that it had slipped her mind that their patient was like family to her own girlfriend. “I'll do it. You can come if you want.”

Cristina's phone rang even as Callie spoke and she eyed her boss. “Actually...”

“Go ahead,” Callie told her with a nod. “I'll take care of talking to the family. You can handle whatever that is.” Cristina was scrubbed out and at the door when she spoke again. “Yang.” The other woman paused in the doorway. “Very good work today.”

Left alone, Callie sighed and squared her shoulders. Time to go have a difficult conversation.

The elevator down to the second floor was empty but the waiting room was not, heads popping up all over the room as families waited for news of their loved ones. The Colonel spotted her first, rising to his feet. Callie was surprised to notice her own father sitting in the chair beside him. Her sons were sitting on either side of Barbara Robbins. And Allegra was overseeing everything from Arizona's lap, her partner apparently dozing. Her lips quirked when Allegra whispered to her, though.

“Mommy!” Blue eyes popped open at Angus' greeting but Arizona couldn't stand up with Allegra balanced on her knees.

“Hey, guys,” Callie answered him. “I didn't know you were here.”

“They insisted on seeing Arizona,” Carlos said as he rose to his feet, greeting his daughter with a light kiss on the cheek. They hadn't sat through the entire surgery, but had pleaded to come back after finding out that everyone was still waiting at the hospital. “And we're going to let tu madre talk to Arizona and her parents, right?” he reminded the kids pointedly.

Callie backed her father up with an arched eyebrow and a quietly cleared throat and the boys dutifully slid off their chairs. Allegra followed only after she squeezed Arizona in a tight hug, whispering to her before she let go.

“Should we sit?” Callie asked as the kids left and even as Arizona got to her feet. The Colonel was still standing but Barbara gestured for Callie to take the seat beside her.

Following her professional instincts she kept standing but stepped in closer. “Nick's alive.”

Barbara sucked in a relieved breath but Arizona and the Colonel were both still holding theirs, waiting for the rest of the pronouncement. “But his heart is weak. We got the tumor but his heart is compromised.” Barbara gasped again, reaching for her husband's hand. Arizona's jaw went tight, her eyes distant. “We've already started the search for a donor -”

“How long does he have?” asked Daniel, his voice hoarse.

Callie tore her eyes unwillingly from Arizona’s expression to meet his eyes. “Weeks. But he's -”

“Weeks? _Weeks?!_ ”

“Dad,” Arizona interjected before he could really get going. “How high up the list is he?”

“He's near the top,” answered Callie, tone soft, trying to keep them both calm. Nick's situation was bad, but it wasn't hopeless, not yet, and he needed to get that sense from his family. He wouldn't be able to get it from her. “He's going to be tired, need medication, and a lot of rest.”

“He's got to stay in the hospital?” Barbara asked, sighing when Callie nodded.

“But you can all visit whenever you want, you can stay with him, and we'll keep him comfortable.”

“He's dying? Keep him comfortable is what you say when someone is dying -” the Colonel questioned, finally sinking weakly into the chair beside his wife.

Arizona kept her feet but swayed. Callie was there immediately, supporting arms wrapping around her. “I'm so sorry,” Callie whispered. Shaking her head, Arizona’s fingers tightened on the arm at her waist. She couldn't speak though, her throat tight.

“If you want to sit with him until he wakes up he'll in the ICU for about an hour but then we'll have him back in his room,” Callie told them, quietly relieved when Arizona leaned into her side.

“We can -?” Barbara started to speak but her voice quavered too much to get it all out.

“You can go there and wait,” Callie confirmed with a nod, keeping her tone soft. Arizona's head burrowed into her shoulder, her partner's breath fast against her neck. Callie tightened her hold on her, tugging her closer. “You'll be there when he wakes up.” She suspected that the Robbins could use a moment alone and she didn't want to intrude on however they processed the new information she'd given them.

Daniel helped his wife to her feet, leading her toward the elevator and privacy. Arizona didn't move but to turn her body completely into Callie's. “We did everyth-”

“Shh,” Arizona hushed her. “Just stay.” One of Callie's hands moved to hold the back of her head, fingers combing into her hair comfortingly. Her next breath was shaky. “What do I need to know about the surgery?”

Callie sighed, rolling silky strands of fair hair between her fingers. “He's alive. That's all that matters. We got the tumor and he's alive.” She felt Arizona take the breath to argue that her friend was still dying and cut her off, “He's got a chance. That's what you've got to focus on. You know that.”

“That's what we tell our patients,” Arizona reminded her. Both hands found the sides of Callie's lab coat and gripped tight to the fabric.

“Because it's true.” Callie hugged her closer. “He's going to need you. You can do this.” Arizona leaned back after a moment. Callie's hand found her cheek, thumb circling the place where her dimple appeared. “Nick's strong. If he wasn't he wouldn't have made it through today.”

Arizona had been avoiding framing the thought directly – that Nick wouldn't survive this operation, wouldn't make it through the day – but it shot through her mind and she felt weak suddenly. She didn't realize she'd wavered until Callie's arms were around her again, keeping her steady. “Can we go somewhere? Somewhere else?”

Keeping one arm around her back Callie led her toward the elevators and the nearest on-call room without speaking. The first room they opened was thankfully empty and Arizona immediately started pacing the small space. Sensing she needed silence more than any pressure to talk Callie took a seat on the edge of the low bed, content to wait for Arizona to speak.

“I've already lost one brother, Calliope.” The name sent a warm rush down her back to roll pleasantly in her stomach. It was rare that Arizona used her full name and it only occurred when they were alone. The pleased flutter inside didn't mesh with the situation and Callie squashed the incongruous happiness. “Nick got me through Tim dying.” It wasn't about having someone to get her through Nick dying – she knew Callie wasn't going anywhere. Nick had been her rock and now he was crumbling. “I'm not sure I can do that for him.”

“I know you can,” Callie stated immediately, her voice calm. “You've been my rock since – forever.” Blue eyes rolled, a familiar patient smile appearing on Arizona's mouth. “Long before I kissed you,” Callie clarified. Their gazes met and she leaned back on her hands. “Nick loves you and he trusts you just like you trust him and love him. He doesn't need any more from you than that.”

Arizona swallowed hard, nodding. Her nerves were obvious but she rubbed her hands down either leg and breathed deep. “Okay. L-”

“You come here,” Callie directed her gently, leaning forward to take Arizona's hand and pulling her toward the bed. “Just for a second. Take a minute. Nick's not going anywhere.”

Instead of sitting down beside her like Callie expected Arizona dropped to sit in her lap, guiding both of her hands to her own sides. “If we're taking a minute then I need you to hold me,” she declared, clearing her throat when her voice came out hoarse.

“I've got you,” promised Callie softly, her head leaning back so she could look up at her partner. “Nick -”

“Let's not talk about Nick right now.” Arizona had a feeling that he wouldn't be far from her mind, however things progressed, and she just wanted to take Callie's advice and have _one_ minute where she wasn't worried about Nick. “How are you? That was a long surgery.”

There was something about the way Callie's mouth pulled but she mustered a smile. “It was long. And I'm tired.”

Arizona brushed a thumb across her girlfriend's brow lightly. “You could go home, you know? Your dad could probably use a break from the kids.”

“He'll be fine,” Callie denied simply, dragging her own hands up and down Arizona's back.

“You did your job. Nick's alive. Go home and get some rest,” Arizona suggested. Callie's mouth pulled again and she sighed. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” said Callie, shaking her head. “Just a long day.”

Leaning in, Arizona pecked her cheek lightly, dropping two more light kisses along her jaw before catching her lips for a brief moment. “Go home,” she repeated. “The kids went out for lunch but they've been here all day otherwise. Take them home, get a good dinner in them, and I'll come home as soon as I can.”

“You're not going to stay the night?”

Arizona made a show of wrinkling her nose as she pretended to think it over. “Sleep in an uncomfortable chair here and listen to Nick snoring, or go to bed with the gorgeous genius surgeon who saved his life?”

Something flickered in Callie's eyes but she maintained a smile. “Well, when you put it like _that_...” She craned up for another soft kiss. “We'll save you some dinner,” she said, making it a statement rather than a suggestion. Her hands made gentle circles on the tops of Arizona’s thighs. “Are you ready?”

There was nothing to be gained by delay and Arizona nodded. “Walk me to his room?”

“Of course.”

Neither spoke as they walked the halls toward Nick's room, their hands linked between them. Arizona's parents were sitting together when they entered but no one was speaking, just silently waiting. They took up positions just inside the room, leaning against the window. Their fingers stayed laced, Arizona grateful for the circling of Callie's thumb on the back of her hand.

A soft knock on the door came too soon to be Nick's bed and Callie leaned around the door to see her father with the kids. “Still waiting? That's fine, but I was going to take the kids -”

“I'm coming,” Callie interjected wearily. “If you'll take them home, Dad, I'll be there once Nick wakes up.” She hadn't intended to spend the whole weekend of her father's visit in the hospital but nothing about their parents' arrival had been exactly planned. “Yang and Altman are both working tonight, so they'll call me if they need me.” Even speaking lowly, it felt too loud, intrusive, and she edged into the hall.

Arizona followed her without disengaging their hands. She still needed the small circles of Callie's thumb on her hand. She was engulfed in hugs as soon as she was in the hall, thin arms wrapped around her legs and waist. “Hey, guys. You three aren't bored of this place yet?”

Their faces said clearly that they were, but none of them said anything. “When are you and Mommy coming home?” Angus asked instead, his chin on her thigh as he stared straight up at her, his grip tight around her leg.

The two women exchanged glances. “I'll be home soon, but Arizona's going to stay and see Nick for a while. You three might be in bed, so say goodnight now, alright?”

Arizona knelt to receive the much needed affection, closing her eyes as she soaked in the love from each of them. Callie couldn't look away for a long moment, grateful every day for how the kids loved Arizona, how Arizona loved them back. When she glanced up she caught her father's gaze.

Carlos tilted his head to the side and Callie stepped sideways to join him. “Thanks for everything, Dad-”

“What you've done here, what you're doing here, it's remarkable. I've never lost my spouse, obviously, but going through something like this, I'm glad you don't have to do it alone.” Callie's next breath was choked and she turned to look at Arizona speaking to the kids again. “Your Arizona is quite the amazing woman.”

Her father's arm slipped across her shoulders and Callie spun to wrap him in a tight hug. “Thank you, Daddy,” she whispered in his ear.

“No more amazing then you, though, mija,” he whispered back, making her smile. “I love you.”

“Te amo,” echoed Callie, leaning her head against her father's shoulder.

“I'm cooking tonight. What would you like?” There was no arguing with that tone in his voice, soft but with an undercurrent of steel.

Too tired to think of anything, Callie turned her head toward the rest of her family. “Gang, what do you want for dinner? Papi is cooking.” Arizona chimed in on the chorus of answers and Callie smiled as their eyes met.

Arizona's opinion swung Angus' vote, unsurprisingly, and Carlos said, “I think I can handle that. Is there gas for the grill?”

Callie nodded, pushing herself upright. “There should be. Thank you.”

“Nietos, with me,” he declared, smiling when Callie extended a hand to help Arizona back to her feet. “We'll see you at home later.” He kissed Callie's cheek and gave Arizona a genuine smile.

Giving her father's back a confused glance as he led the kids away, Callie sighed as Arizona leaned into her side. “You talked to him today?”

“He was great,” Arizona told her, both arms wrapping around her. “Didn't say much, actually, but he stuck with us all day.” Callie's arm curled over her shoulder. “I think my dad said something to him.”

“Oh, so you get the speech thing from your dad?” Callie asked, smiling against blonde hair.

Arizona smiled but it faded slowly. “I did talk to Allegra today.” The pause was heavy, loaded, and Callie held her breath. “About Owen.”

Callie could feel her eyes burning with tears she couldn't let escape, throat thick with emotion. “I'll talk to her. Thanks for the heads up.” She sighed heavily but she didn’t close her eyes. If she shut her lids the tears would break free.

“Callie...” Arizona breathed deep. “If you need to talk -”

“You've got enough going on,” said Callie.

“We worry about each other though,” Arizona reminded her. “We're a team, right? A family? So I'm going to worry about Nick, _and_ Allegra, _and_ you. Just like you're going to worry about Allegra, _and_ Nick, _and_ me. Right? So you don't get to tell me that I can't worry about you or the kids. You just can't tell me that, Calliope. I love you, and I love those kids.”

The way Arizona only noticed _after_ she'd said all of _that_ that she'd used the word family made Callie fall even more in love with her. Her smile grew even as her partner's blue eyes widened. “No, you're right. That's how this works.” She turned to face her, both hands holding Arizona's face. “I love you. The kids love you.”

“Dr. Torres.” Her name made Callie turn to see Nick's bed arriving. Arizona took her hand again and squeezed down hard. “He's been stable, so -”

“That's fine,” Callie told the intern pushing the bed. “Right in there.”

Arizona's breathing was faster than normal and Callie faced her again as the bed passed by them into the room where the Robbins were waiting. “If you go now you can catch up to your dad,” she noted, her voice high.

“I'm not going yet,” Callie denied her gently. “I'm going to answer whatever questions your parents have, and explain how things are going to go for the next day or so.”

“I can do that.”

A smooth eyebrow arched and Callie shook her head primly. “Nope. You're the patient's family. I'm the doctor here.”

The Colonel was the one who asked the questions, Barbara checking over the sleeping Nick. He kept his head though, businesslike and orderly with his queries. Callie left them only a few minutes after Nick woke up, driving home in the dark after Arizona promised to be home soon.

The front windows of her house were lit up and glowing across the lawn when she pulled up in the driveway. When she cracked her car door open Callie could hear music from her backyard, her sons laughing. It was a familiar scene, or it had been, once upon a time. But she knew that when she went around the house that it wouldn't be Owen at the grill while Allegra ran circles around his feet and laughed her head off the whole time. Everything was different now. Tonight when she went into her back yard it would be her father at the grill, not her husband. Because Owen was dead.

Callie stopped with one leg out of the car, left foot dragging the concrete of her driveway. But she couldn't move. The truth struck her again, as if it were fresh. Owen Hunt was dead. She couldn't save him. Nick was going to make it through the day though, because of her.

Leaning back against the headrest, she let the tears come, choking back the sounds of her own sobs.


	30. Chapter 30

 Waiting was agony, made no less painful by the fact that Nick wasn't Owen. A good man was dying in a bed while Callie could do nothing. Arizona had been her rock then, taking care of the kids and her without faltering. It took everything Callie had to do that for her – juggling work, the kids, and her girlfriend's family. She did it, though. Because Arizona Robbins was irrevocably tied to her own life, her family, her happiness, her heart.

Nick's hand was clammy but she didn't let go, holding his hand while she scanned charts on her tablet, her feet propped up on the room's spare chair. Callie looked up over the edges of her glasses when her patient's door opened, pleased by her partner's entrance.

Arizona didn't look as happy to see her, her expression dropping into a worried frown. “Shit. Was I supposed to get the kids? Because I was sure they were with you -”

Callie put her feet down and leaned forward to drop her computer and glasses on the edge of Nick's bed. He'd been sleeping since she'd arrived, had remained unconscious for longer and longer stretches. He wasn't going to hold out much longer and Arizona had gotten more and more regimented as the second week of waiting had worn on. “You didn't lose the kids,” Callie assured her, standing up in her socks. “Ellen has them today. It's Sunday,” she reminded her partner slowly when Arizona still looked confused.

“Wha-?”

“Come sit down,” Callie directed, reaching for her arm even as she rounded the end of Nick's bed.

“How's he doing? When did you get here?” asked Arizona while she sank into Callie's chair.

Callie sighed, rubbing tired eyes as she took the other chair. “I came down after my surgery.” She had Cristina Yang watching the UNOS list like a hawk, with the promise of running the recovery team as incentive. “How's your kid with the sarcoma?”

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Arizona sighed. “Ortho is consulting later but they think they can save the leg.”

The silence that fell was almost uneasy, something that didn't happen between them normally. Even in the beginning, when they'd been getting to know each other the quiet had been easy, simple, and relaxed. It was hard to talk openly with Nick withering in the bed beside them.

It couldn't keep Callie from fidgeting restlessly where she'd been relaxed before. There was a time and a place for what she wanted to say to Arizona and this was decidedly _not_ it, but she just couldn't help herself. Leaping without looking was just part of who she was.

Right now though, Arizona needed the quiet stillness of her dying friend's bedside and Callie sat across from her in their vigil.

“Do you come in here a lot?” Arizona asked softly. She knew how often she was here, and her parents, but she'd been unaware that Callie spent much, if any, of her free time in Nick's room.

Callie watched him sleeping and didn't speak for a moment. Arizona was holding his hand now. “I know we're not close, me and him, but I didn't want him to be alone.” Owen hadn't died alone, she'd been beside him, and Teddy. But he'd been unreachable, like Nick was becoming as the days dragged on without a new heart.

“Thank you,” Arizona whispered, blinking across the space between them and letting the quiet fall again. It was less strained now, more of a peaceful silence.

Callie's phone ringing loudly, pager chiming from her discarded lab coat's pocket on the chair behind Arizona, startled them both. It made Nick jump but he didn't stir more than to mumble, his eyes moving slowly behind their lids. “This is Dr. Torres.”

Arizona was back on her feet and reaching for confirmation on Callie's pager before Callie could cover the speaker and tell her. The look on her face was enough. They had a heart.

“Yes. Okay. Perfect. I'll send my retrieval team right now. Thank you,” Callie finished her call, nodding reassuringly. “I'm going to call Ellis and let her know we need a charter.”

“We got one? Where?”

Callie's eyes flicked toward the man in the bed. “Idaho.” She didn't have to be any more specific and Arizona knew. “Don't ask me if you can be on the recovery team,” she said as her phone rang in her ear. Only over her dead body would she be putting Arizona on a flight to Boise, regardless of the astronomical odds of anything like Owen's crash happening twice in the same place.

Arizona reached for her hand quietly, not arguing. “I'm going to call my parents,” she whispered. Callie nodded distractedly, free hand fidgeting with something in her pocket. “Mom, UNOS called.”

The rest of the morning was a flurry of activity, Cristina leaving to retrieve the heart while Arizona and her parents roused Nick enough for a quick conversation. Then Callie was taking him into the OR and the waiting reached an entirely new level of agonizing.

Arizona couldn't risk sitting in the gallery, couldn't take being right _there_ and being unable to do anything for Nick if his body rejected the new heart. No, she alternated sitting and fidgeting with restless pacing while they waited.

It felt like days before Cristina Yang came down to update them though it had only been a few short hours. Arizona was already on her feet when the Cardio fellow joined them. “So far, so good,” she reported. “The surgery went very smoothly and we're hopeful.”

“Can we see him?” Barbara asked eagerly as Arizona sighed deeply in relief, something tight in her chest loosening slightly with every breath she took.

“Once he's out of the ICU,” Cristina said with a nod, her hands crossed in front of her. She could only blink in wide-eyed surprise when she was swept up in a tight hug by her colleague’s mother. Arizona smirked at the younger surgeon behind her mother's back, shrugging her shoulders. “It should be about an hour,” Cristina tried, hoping it would get her released.

The Colonel stepped in after a few seconds, pulling his wife back by her shoulders and guiding her to hug him instead of the hapless doctor. “Thank you, Dr. Yang,” Arizona murmured, nodding in dismissal to her. The heart surgeon fled gratefully.

Watching her parents hug, Arizona sank weakly into a chair again. When her mother looked in her direction she gave them both a relieved smile. Nick wasn't spared yet, but things were in his hands now.

“We'll meet you in Nick's room?” Barbara checked when Arizona stood again, pulling her into a brief but tight hug. “You and Callie will meet us there?”

“Sure.” Arizona nodded her agreement. She hadn't consciously thought of going to find Callie but now that her mother had said it it seemed clear what her plan had been. “We'll be up there in a little while.”

Callie was in the ICU, sitting again at Nick's bedside with his hand clasped beneath one of her own when Arizona found her. Not that she'd thought to look anywhere else. Callie was an amazing surgeon, one of, if not _the_ best, or she wouldn't be working here. She'd always had a reputation for outstanding patient care but Nick's surgery, Nick's survival, was clearly something more than just another patient to her. Whether it was something to do with Owen or it was because of Nick's relation to Arizona only Callie could say.

Glasses were already pushed up to the top of her head, Callie resting on her crossed arms on the edge of the mattress with her eyes closed. Arizona felt her heart swell at the sight and she paused just outside the sliding doors. Dark eyes opened slowly to spot her and Callie smiled without lifting her head.

“Hey,” Arizona whispered as she entered the room. The readouts on Nick's monitors were good and she moved behind Callie's seat as her partner sat up.

“Hey. Cristina found you?”

Arizona nodded, both hands sliding across the tops of Callie's shoulders. “My parents are in the room already.” The muscles under her palms were tight and she started rubbing gently. Callie's head fell forward suddenly beneath the soothing touch. “You're all tense,” noted Arizona in a quiet tone. She shifted dark hair with careful fingers, tenderly working knots out of Callie's shoulders. “You haven't been sleeping well either.” Callie groaned as she loosened a tight muscle. “Are the kids staying with Ellen tonight?” It wasn't uncommon for them to spend a night with their grandmother on the weekends. Callie nodded, her head bobbing limply on her neck. “Then I'm going to have to insist that I take you out tonight.”

“That sounds amazing,” Callie groaned. “That _feels_ amazing.” Arizona's fingers walked up the sides of her neck and she couldn't help moaning in relief. “Don't stop.”

Arizona bit back a smirking smile, glancing toward the clear walls of the ICU. “Okay, change of plans.” Callie made a noise of protest. “We're going to go home and I'll cook and you can take a bath,” she proposed. Leaning in, she kissed the base of her neck softly. “Would that be alright?”

It was actually perfect. The box in her pocket had been tormenting her all day, its presence teasing her. A quiet night at home felt like the perfect occasion to give it to Arizona. She smiled unseen at her own knees. “That sounds perfect.” She had nothing on the board today that Cristina couldn't handle. It felt like months since she'd taken any personal time, even for a night. “Let's do that.” It might become pizza and a mutual shower, but they could figure that out later. Arizona's idea would fit better with her own hard to ignore romantic impulses, but the desire to be close to Arizona might demand more proximity than a solo bath could provide, however sweet the gesture Arizona intended.

Arizona pulled her back upright by the shoulders and trailed kisses from Callie's collarbone to her ear. This wasn't the place for further displays of affection and she reluctantly straightened up. “How did it go?”

Callie's eyes returned to her patient and she breathed deep, rocking her head to either side and feeling the pull in her shoulders. “He's a champ, as I'm sure you know. Everything went perfectly.”

Arizona's next breath was relieved and she couldn't help inclining her head to kiss Callie's hair. “Thank you.” One hand was still on Callie's shoulder and Callie turned her head to press a kiss to the back.

Nick didn't wake until after he was moved back into his room. He woke coughing but Arizona reassured her mother that it was good while Callie made sure all of her patient's readings were steady. He didn't stay awake long though and she excused herself and Callie soon after he succumbed to sleep again. The drive home was spent on the phone with the kids, listening to Gavin and Allegra attempting to talk over each other while Callie mediated patiently from miles away.

Saying good night as they entered the house, Callie hung up and dropped her phone on the way toward the kitchen. Arizona caught her arm to stop her progress. “Let me take care of dinner. You relax,” she reminded her gently, tone soft, loving.

Callie turned her arm over to grip Arizona's and tugged her into her arms, kissing her without hesitation. Momentarily surprised, it took Arizona a heartbeat to respond. Her eyes fell closed as the feeling of being kissed, being in Callie's arms, swept her away.

Clearly their plan for the evening was changing. Arizona couldn't bring herself to contest the deviation, just stepped in and angled herself into the next kiss. Taking the gentle suction on her bottom lip for the willingness it was, Callie steered them slowly toward the couch. Arizona let herself be straddled on the sofa, the kisses still slow. She let her hands move just as slowly, roaming across the outsides of Callie's thighs, up her sides and back down again.

Silky hair slipped through Callie's fingers as her own touch roamed across her partner's head, down her neck, and over the tops of her shoulders. She rolled her shoulders to help when Arizona sat up to pull the jacket down her back. It fell to the floor with a quiet thump and was forgotten. Fingers bunched her shirt just below her chest but only used the grip to pull her down and closer.

“Better,” Arizona mumbled against her lips, pleased when Callie smiled into the kiss. Taking the shirt off entirely would be even better, but the slow build of the evening's proceedings was too perfect to rush. Moving slowly tonight, after weeks of what felt like constant motion, felt like a needed change of pace. Callie's arms braced against the back of the couch on either side of her head, loose wisps of blonde hair tickling the inside of her forearms.

Callie leaned in, their foreheads pressing lightly against each other. “You good?”

Arizona pecked a kiss to her bottom lip. “Am I good? We're making out on the couch. I'm great.” She laughed easily and took another soft kiss, letting out a quiet noise of approval when Callie deepened it.

“Is that what we're doing?” Callie teased in a whisper.

Shrugging, Arizona smiled. “Well, I was going to make you dinner while you took a bath, but instead you're sitting on me on the couch. It's not exactly our _most_ romantic evening.” Callie's nose bumped her own as she dropped in for the next series of slow kisses. “Not that I'm complaining,” Arizona breathed, wanting to be perfectly clear.

“Mmhmm,” Callie hummed her acknowledgment into her partner's mouth, her own plan for the evening tickling the back of her mind. She caught Arizona's bottom lip gently between her teeth, nibbling lightly and swallowing Arizona's answering moan. “You're still going to cook, though, right?”

Arizona laughed, kissing under her jaw and slowly moving down her neck. “Happy to,” she mumbled. “Whenever you want to let me up.”

“I'm not hungry yet,” countered Callie, eyes closing slowly as Arizona's lips traveled across her throat. Content to continue, Arizona leaned up for closer contact, both arms slipping around her waist. As long as she didn't have to explain a hickey to Allegra and the boys, Callie was more than happy to let Arizona do anything she wanted.

Taking the freedom she'd been given, Arizona gradually flipped them to deposit Callie on the couch cushions. She got to feel every inch of Callie's body against her and escaped the Lego brick she'd been sitting on. The change in position didn't increase the pace of the evening, just gave them both more complete contact. Arizona let her lips drag across Callie's neck, collarbones, and back to her mouth. Her hands moved as well, across arm and shoulder, back, hip, and side, but hadn't touched skin by the time Callie mumbled that the plan was now pizza, not cooking.

“Fine, you call,” Arizona assented, breathing slowly and close against Callie's neck. “But you're just determined to turn our romantic, kid-free night into movie night in the dorm, aren't you?” she asked hypothetically, hips jumping and pressing down instinctively when Callie's hand fished the phone out of her own back pocket.

Callie smirked as Arizona stifled a groan, blonde head buried in her neck. “I suppose you got laid a lot at these movie nights?”

Arizona's hips rocked down again deliberately, the motion slow and lingering. “Am I getting laid _tonight_?” Arizona countered. The present interested her so much more than anything in her past.

Callie turned her head to reach Arizona's ear. “Count on it.” Her lips closed on a pliable earlobe and Arizona's weight seemed to settle more heavily on her.

“Tease.” Arizona's voice was low, vibrating through her chest and into Callie's.

Callie didn't deny it but protested when Arizona sat up to let her make the phone call, pushing up on both hands and starting to stand. “Where do you think you're going?”

“I'm thirsty,” answered Arizona with a cheeky dimpled grin.

“Grab me something, please.” Sitting up, Callie couldn't help the goofy smile that spread across her lips as she watched Arizona head for the kitchen. The sound of the blender a few minutes later as she was hanging up made her laugh to herself. Arizona clearly wasn't going to let their evening fall completely into the casual category. Callie set her girlfriend's phone on the end table and stood up. The least she could do was help out.

Starting to move, she tripped over her discarded jacket and sent something bouncing under the couch. Rolling her eyes impatiently, Callie knelt to retrieve it. The velvet box she recovered made her grin return full force.

“Hey, so, I made margaritas but – wha-what are you doing?” Arizona stopped short just inside the living room, a wine glass filled to the brim with slushy drinks in either hand. The one in her left hand rippled and sent ice trickling down between her fingers.

Completely unable to help herself, Callie burst out laughing when Arizona gasped and tried to catch the falling ice. “Arizona...” She pushed herself up with one hand on the couch, the box that had been in her jacket pocket all day in the other. “Let me get one of those.”

Arizona's eyes were locked on the box but she let Callie take a drink from her suddenly nerveless fingers. Callie licked the stray liquid from the side of the glass and Arizona felt her breathing go shaky. “What is that?” she asked, feeling breathless.

In contrast, Callie was perfectly calm, taking a sip of her drink before she spoke. “Mmh, this is good! Thank you.”

“Callie -” Arizona hadn't blinked, wasn't sure she'd taken a breath. “What -?”

“Okay, it's not what you think,” Callie told her, unable to get the smile off her lips. She took another sip of her drink and set it down carefully on the end table next to Arizona's phone. Following her lead, Arizona put hers down as well, though her hand wasn't as steady. “It is for you, though.”

Arizona's eyes closed for a moment and she took a deep breath. “Calliope, I'm -”

“Stop it.” Callie's hand on her arm stopped her words. “Just open it.” She leaned in for a soft kiss, gratified to feel Arizona kiss her back.

It was too big to be a ring box, but was just as clearly jewelry. Arizona couldn't remember the last time a relationship had gotten serious enough for jewelry, for all that she was living with the woman she could see forever with. Her throat was dry as she flipped open the lid and she gasped at the sight of a heart pendant in gold, smooth loops and gentle angles. It was simple and beautiful.

“I know it's kind of out of nowhere, and there's not any real occasion for exchanging gifts, or whatever.” Callie's interjection into the silence was soft, eyes nearly liquid as she watched Arizona's reaction. “But I love you, and I can't see stupid little romantic things without thinking about you, so...” She took a breath. “Do you like it?”

“Calliope,” her name was a gasp, “I love it.” Blue eyes flicked up to meet hers. “Can I -?” She lifted it out of the box and Callie set it aside.

“Let me,” Callie requested, arms slipping over Arizona's shoulders to work the clasp herself.

Looking down at her new necklace, Arizona couldn't help a smile. “Thank you. You didn't have to get me anything.”

“I know I didn't, but I wanted to.” Callie finished with the clasp and kissed her neck lightly just above the new chain. “It's not like we're really doing anything conventionally,” she noted as she leaned back. One of Arizona's hands reached to play with the pendant around her neck while the other reached for Callie's hand. “I just saw it and could see it around your neck.” She laughed suddenly, her loving smile becoming a smirking grin. “What, exactly, was that reaction when you thought I was going to propose, though?” asked Callie, teasing blatantly.

A flush rose up Arizona's neck but she didn't get defensive. “You're talking about us not doing things conventionally,” she reminded her partner. “We live together, work together, and then there's the kids, and Owen.” Callie's brows dropped, her mouth flattening. “I would love to marry you, you get that, right? But right now, on top of everything else, it's a lot.” Arizona swallowed hard, hoping desperately that Callie could see where she was coming from. Callie's smile sent a relieved breath into her lungs.

“I agree.” Callie stepped in, arms slipping around her, and Arizona burrowed willingly into her. Full lips pressed a kiss to her temple. “It's a lot right now. We've got time to do it right.” She coaxed Arizona's head up with a gentle finger under her jaw. “Do we need to talk about how fast things have moved? I know you've kind of been hearing it from all sides lately with your dad, and _my_ dad, and Nick.”

Arizona shook her head in quiet denial. “I don't care what it looks like, or what they say. I care that you're happy, that the kids are happy.” Her next breath was shaky as the depths of her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. “I love them so much.”

Smiling warmly, Callie nuzzled her nose against Arizona's before she leaned in for a soft kiss. “I know you do. I know.” She leaned her forehead against Arizona's and felt the other woman's trembling ease. “I'm very happy,” she confirmed. “The kids are happy. They're not over Owen, of course, but they're getting through it. The fact that they're happy again, it's everything.”

“I know,” whispered Arizona, her eyes closing. Two fingers rolled the heart pendent between them.

“Come here,” Callie coaxed. “Sit down.” They were practically sharing a couch cushion, Callie guiding her partner's legs across her lap. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” Arizona held her weight on one elbow so she could play with the new necklace.

“You didn't want kids, but this, with me and my kids -”

“I love them, and you -”

“No, I know,” Callie interjected softly, one hand rubbing her knee. “I know you do. I just – was it hard for you, adapting to all of this?” She shook her head with a sigh before Arizona could answer. “That's a stupid question. Of course it was -”

“Loving you, loving them, is the easiest thing I've ever done,” Arizona said, her voice steady. Callie blinked, a smile growing slowly across her lips. “I didn't want kids, no. You're right. Normally I see these kids at work and they're sick or dying, but they're resilient. They're tougher than their parents, anyway.” Callie's smile was understanding. “But it was never something I wanted for myself – the vulnerability of loving another person like that, not when I know every thing that could ever happen to them.”

Callie wanted to argue that Arizona was also the best in the country at healing potential hurts, but sensed that it wasn't the time to discuss that with her partner. She kept silent, content to listen without comment.

“But I got to know your kids, Callie, and they're these three little distinct people and they're amazing, and I fell in love with each of them just like I fell in love with you.” She took a breath and held it, holding Callie's eyes as well. “Maybe it sounds stupid, but I just couldn't help myself. They're worth the risk, you know?” Nodding quietly, Callie squeezed a foot between both hands.

Silence fell, peaceful and nearly solemn. Callie's thumbs made circles on the sole of Arizona's foot while Arizona relaxed against the cushions. “The pizza will probably be here soon,” noted Callie, her voice low, not breaking the hushed atmosphere.

“And we're not making out. Shame,” Arizona countered, smiling drowsily into her pillow.

Callie's snort of laughter burst free and Arizona bit her lip to restrain her own mirth. The doorbell chimed from the front door so Callie stood up, setting Arizona's legs down on the couch. As she went around the end table she handed Arizona her wineglass margarita. Callie paid for their pizza and returned to the couch. “Do we need plates?” Arizona sent her a look even as she sat up. “I'll get plates.”

“The kids aren't here so we're just giving up? We're just going to eat off of napkins?” she reasoned jokingly, taking the pizza box as Callie passed.

“Pizza night with you is not an idea that I hate,” Callie pointed out in reply. “We could put our pjs on and watch chick flicks.” She was smirking as she returned with the plates and ignored her partner's rolling eyes. “And for the record,” she leaned over to plant a kiss on Arizona's cheek, “if I propose to you,” though that would be an issue of _when_ rather than if, “then it will be much nicer occasion than pizza night.”


	31. Chapter 31

Callie had plans, plans that were currently being threatened by a bout of chicken pox that was sweeping the hospital. She couldn't very well _not_ comfort her son though. Both of the twins had it, but Gavin was finally sleeping. Angus had been uncomfortable all day, fighting a losing battle with the urge to scratch. He had settled heavily against her shoulder by the time the door slid open.

Arizona looked stunning in her dress – red, off the shoulder, and ending at the knee – but her attention was completely focused on the boys. “Wow.” Arizona smiled even as she checked Gavin's head with a practiced hand. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you,” she murmured without waking him. “So do you.”

Callie felt a flush travel down her neck in a wave. “I think I'm getting drooled on.”

Arizona winked at her, fingers combing fair hair back from Gavin's forehead lightly, lovingly. “You're beautiful,” she stated sincerely. “Shh, it's okay,” she whispered when Gavin stirred. Under her familiar touch he settled again immediately.

“He's been out like a rock. Gus can't stop fidgeting though,” Callie reported quietly.

“Well, Allegra is at Tori's house with the other girls and reminded us that only losers get picked up before breakfast.” She turned to face her partner of three years, smiling at the sweet sight that greeted her. At six Angus was nearly too big to be carried around but he remained as willing to snuggle as he had ever been where his older siblings had started to grow out of that impulse.

“Oh good,” Callie dryly replied. “So we can sleep in tomorrow.”

“Sorry about tonight being a bust,” said Arizona with a sigh. “I know you were looking forward to this show.”

Callie swallowed down the sudden lump of nerves in her chest. She had a reason she was looking forward to tonight but I wasn't because of the tickets in her purse. Rather, it was because of the question eagerly waiting to burst free of her lips, the slight weight of a ring box in the pocket of her coat. “We can still cook...”

Arizona's brow furrowed as she noticed something, moving closer in the dim lighting of the room. Paranoid and sure that she had somehow spotted the extra item in her pocket and deduced what was inside, Callie slipped a hand down to cover the ring case. “Are you hot?”

“You're hot,” Callie countered stupidly, wincing even as she said it. She certainly felt warm now, blushing in embarrassment.

“No, I mean -” Arizona's hand felt cool when it touched her forehead, brushed across her cheek. “You have -” Two fingers guided the strap of her dress aside. “You have chicken pox,” she sighed as she saw the spots that dotted the top of Callie's chest. She caught Callie before she could stand up, hand on her shoulder keeping her seated. “You've never had them before?”

Groaning in frustration and making Angus squirm, Callie shook her head in denial. “Not all of us are Pediatricians.”

“Hey, I'm a Pediatric _surgeon_ ,” Arizona reminded her with a smile. “And I'm not the one who's sick.” She leaned in, scooping Gus up easily. He sighed in his sleep and slumped into her shoulder. “Come on. We'll get them settled and see about getting you a room.”

“Bull,” denied Callie, nearly growling in frustration. She just wanted to propose, damn it! Not fall prey to the same illness inflicting her sons. “I'll just go home.”

“No, you won't,” Arizona said primly, tucking Gus into the bed next to where his brother slept. “Because between here and home you'll touch doorknobs and push elevator buttons and you'll be the outbreak monkey.” She left either boy with a soft kiss on the head. “I love you,” she whispered to them both.

The love and devotion Arizona had for her children never failed to trigger a wave of love and it temporarily overpowered the irritation she felt at her evening's rather spectacular derailment. She couldn't even get a nice, quiet night at home to propose to her girlfriend. “You're crazy if you think you're putting the gauze paws on me,” she stated, following Arizona out of the boys' room.

Arizona smirked over her shoulder, reaching back for Callie's hand. She had to unfold her arms where she'd crossed them over her chest to let her hand be taken. Her free hand went instinctively to grasp the ring box in her pocket. “It'll help.”

“I need my hands,” argued Callie stubbornly.

Blue eyes rolled at her persistence. “What could you possibly need done tonight that I can't do for you? You're not going to operate.”

“I can think of a few things,” Callie groused, her eyebrow arching to make sure her point got across clearly.

Arizona simply smirked confidently. “My hands are at your service,” she promised with her own wicked grin. “As always.” She pulled Callie into an empty room only one away from the boys. “You can get changed and I'll get you admitted.”

Callie didn't move, chewing on her bottom lip as she mentally debated. The evening was not going to go the way she'd hoped. There was no way to salvage it that she could see. She'd put so much planning into tonight and it hurt to let it go because of something as ridiculous as a grown woman catching the chicken pox from her own children.

More than that, though, she simply didn't want to spend another day without putting a ring on Arizona Robbins' finger. She wanted to be engaged to marry the woman she loved. Maybe it was pride, but she simply couldn't propose in a hospital gown.

Arizona felt the hand in her grip slide out and assumed resistance without turning around. “Callie, it's really not a big deal and I'll stay -” She turned at the sound of shuffling behind her. “Oh my God.” One hand braced on the chair beside the bed to help her balance, Callie had knelt down on one knee. “What are you doing?” Arizona asked shakily, eyes wide.

Callie shrugged as she dug the ring box out of her coat pocket. “I was trying to do this right, dinner and candles and wine, but this is where we've ended up.” She tried a hopeful smile. “I'm not a patient person. You know that.” Arizona blinked back tears but smiled. “Tonight was supposed to be the night – our night. I can't wait for another night to ask you to marry me.” Reaching up, she took Arizona's left hand and gathered her breath and her courage.

“Arizona Robbins, you are the most amazing person that I've ever known. You're my best friend, and you came into my life before I even knew that I needed someone. We've been together now for three years but it's not enough for me.” Arizona's next breath was hoarse with emotion she was struggling to hold back. “I want decades. I want the rest of our lives with you. I love you, Arizona. Will you marry me?”

Arizona was already nodding but Callie didn't breathe until she spoke. “Yes, of course, Calliope.” She gestured eagerly, for the ring, for Callie to stand up and kiss her, for any next step that got her closer to being Callie's wife. Callie's embrace, the kiss that followed, literally swept her off her feet as Callie leaned back to spin her happily. “Took you long enough to ask!”

Laughing, Callie kissed her again before finding Arizona's hand again to slide the ring onto her finger. “I can pretty much guarantee it won't be a long engagement.”

The ring was simple, a thin band of white gold lined with small diamonds. It wasn't showy or flashy, but perfect. “Oh my God, I love it,” Arizona breathed as she looked at her hand's new adornment.

“It's more a wedding band than an engagement ring, but -”

“It's perfect,” Arizona stated definitely, closing her hand. Her mouth worked without words coming out. She'd had her own plans for tonight, though obviously not as big as Callie had made. She'd just been hoping for some sex. Now she was wearing an engagement ring and her fiancee had chicken pox. The thought of going home and sleeping in an empty house was just inconceivable now. “Uh, well, how about I go get some scrubs from the locker room and you can get settled while I go pick up -” she trailed off, thoughts moving quicker than her mouth could keep up with.

“What are you talking about?” asked Callie, amused.

Blue eyes blinked. “We're going to eat dinner,” she said as though it should be obvious. “I'll get some takeout, and you can find something to watch, or I can pick something up from the machine.”

“Are you going to stay too?” Callie couldn't help her hopeful tone, more hopeful about the prospects of the evening now that she had a fiancee in addition to the chicken pox.

Arizona's smile was playful, dimples framing her mouth, and she pecked her lips lightly. “Sickness and health, Calliope. You're stuck with me.” Her fingers curled around either strap of Callie's dress. “Now, you just think about what you want to eat while I take care of everything else.”

“Can that be how we plan the wedding too?” she asked, teasing happily.

Arizona just took another kiss, drawn against Callie's body by arms that snaked around her waist and held her. She forced herself to step back when hands squeezed her ass. “We can't have sex in the hospital,” Arizona reminded her in a whisper against her lips.

“Like we haven't before?” countered Callie.

“Not when you're a patient and the boys are next door.” She reached backward for Callie's hands and fingers rolled her ring, prompting her to surge in for another kiss, plundering and passionate for a few too brief moments before she regained her sense and breathlessly pulled back. “I'm going to go, but I'll come back. Try not to scratch!” she ordered as she backed out of the room.

Dinner was eggrolls and fried rice instead of the seared salmon she'd been planning on, the entertainment some slasher movie they would have never chanced having on the television with the kids around, but Arizona traced shapes into the spots on her arms after they'd set the cartons aside and forgotten about the movie. It wasn't how she'd imagined their night going, but for all that it was ending exactly how she wanted every night to end, with Arizona's arms around her. The details didn't matter.

Callie dozed with her head on Arizona's shoulder, stirring only when the new ring on her finger caught in her own dark hair. “Are you going to get the chicken pox?” she asked drowsily. It hadn't occurred to her to ask earlier. It was too little, too late now, anyway.

Arizona had had the chicken pox when she was six but smiled against Callie's hair and kept combing her fingers through the soft curls. “So I get the chicken pox.”


End file.
